Avocados are very nutritious and contain a wide variety of nutrients, including 20 different vitamins and minerals, plus fiber and heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids.
They are great mashed and made into guacamole, or simply sliced or diced and added to salads, on top of burgers, chicken or fish. They can also be used in sweet recipes, such as chocolate mousse.
In honor of Cinco de Mayo coming up in a few days, I am including my highly praised, go-to dip for parties, and pretty much any occasion.
It can be a bit tricky choosing an avocado at the store. You don’t want them too soft, which means over-ripe and probably brown inside. If I have a few days before I need to use them, I will buy ones that are still hard, and let them ripen on my kitchen counter. You can also put them in a paper bag and they will ripen faster.
It’s very important when cutting into an avocado that you do it on a cutting board, NOT while holding it in your hand. I have seen people on TV holding one half of the avocado and jamming the blade of their knife into the pit to remove it. Instead, just use a small spoon to scoop the pit out.
So now on to the guacamole recipe. The basic recipe is very simple…just mashed avocado, salt, and acid, such as lemon or lime juice. But I like to add a bit of chopped onion, jalapeno pepper and cilantro.
It’s best to make sure everything is very finely chopped, then mix it all together. And I don’t mash the avocado too much. I think it’s better kept a bit chunky.
You can make the guacamole ahead of time, (just an hour or two), and place it in a bowl with plastic wrap touching the surface so that it doesn’t brown.
You can serve it with carrot sticks, celery, chips, or on top of Zesty Turkey Taco Salad.
Chunky Guacamole
Servings: 2-4
- 1 large or 2 small avocados
- 2 tablespoons minced red onion
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon or lime juice
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
- 2 teaspoons minced jalapeno, seeds and ribs removed, optional
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
Directions:
Slice the avocados in half lengthwise and scoop out the pits with a spoon. Discard pits and scoop the flesh into a bowl. Mash with a fork, leaving it a bit chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. Taste to adjust seasonings. Add more lemon juice or salt, if necessary.
Variations: Add finely diced tomato, and/or minced garlic.