Guacamole

Chips are a staple in our house. The first time I crumbled them up and sprinkled them over my husband’s breakfast omelet, he nearly fainted in joy. To accompany chips, you need something good. Guacamole fits the bill.

I did not like avocados or guacamole for the longest time. Perhaps I just had bad experiences with both. The first time I tried guacamole and loved it was in Manhattan at Mama Mexico. They made it fresh right in front of you, and you got to pick the ingredients that went in. I had an aha moment: Guacamole is only great fresh! The canned, tubbed, bagged stuff you can buy at the store does not hold a candle to homemade guac. This converted me to be an avocado lover as well. I’m grateful that food buds evolve as adults!

Homemade Guacamole Recipe

Makes 4 cups

4-5 ripe avocados

2-3 tomatoes

½ C scallions I’ve also used Spanish onion & red onion before

3-5 cloves of garlic

1 jalapeno

1 lime

Salt to taste

Because avocados brown quickly after air exposure, I saved those for the end and diced all my ingredients. A note on the tomatoes: remove the seeds and liquid parts- they will water down and discolor the guacamole. Thankfully, guacamole doesn’t require precise measurements, so if you like yours more spicy or garlicky or whatever, you can adjust as necessary.

Roll the lime under your palm before cutting it open to release the juices.

Then cut your avocados open. Ripe avocados should be soft to the touch, but not mushy. It’s ok if the skin is black, so long as there isn’t mold growing out of the peel. I cut them in half first,

then slice squares without puncturing the peel behind it.

Then scooped the flesh into the bowl. This can be done with a spoon or fingers. To get the pit out, you can scoop it out with your fingers as well, or smack a knife into it and wiggle it out of the avocado flesh.

Toss avocado into a bowl. You can mash with a large spoon or potato masher, but I usually use a fork so I can get the guacamole to the exact consistency I like. If you’re in a hurry, or don’t mind really smooth guacamole, you could always toss the ingredients into a food processor.

Add the remaining ingredients and mash until it is a consistency you like. I usually keep a pit or two in the guacamole mix – it keeps the guacamole from browning! (I learned this at a party, thanks Kim!)

Refrigerate (either with the pit in and/or in an air tight container with parchment paper pressed down onto the guacamole to remove all air) for 30 minutes and serve! This guacamole is great for dipping, topping quesadillas, or stuffing in burritos! You can always store extra guacamole the same way you refrigerated it, though in our house there are rarely leftovers. Especially if you’re putting it on my Guacamole Grilled Cheese. Heaven!