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Guacamole:
Guacamole (or Guac as some call it) is right up there with fresh salsa for being one of the most popular dip appetizers. The word “guacamole” dates back to the 16th century and the Aztecs in Mexico, where avocados have been cultivated for thousands of years. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words--ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). While there are many variations, traditional Mexican guacamole has only a few ingredients. First of course is the avocado, then onion, chiles, and fresh tomatoes and salt. I do not like hot and spicy food, so I make mine without the chiles. The most important ingredient to a perfect guacamole is the avocado. The trick to making this recipe perfect is using ripe avocados that have just the right amount of ripeness. If not ripe enough, the avocado will be hard and tasteless, but if it is too ripe, the taste will be off. Guacamole is best eaten right after it is made. The avocados start to oxidize and turn brown once they have been cut. Therefore, the acid in the lime juice you add to the guacamole can help slow down that process. Now, let's cook!
Storage: The trick to keeping guacamole green is to make sure air does not touch it. Transfer it to a container, cover it with plastic wrap, and press down on the plastic wrap to squeeze out any air pockets. Make sure any exposed surface of the guacamole is touching the plastic wrap, not air. This will keep the amount of browning to a minimum. If you leave the guacamole exposed to air, it will start to brown and discolor. That browning is not very appetizing, but the guacamole is still good. You can either scrape off the brown parts and discard them or stir them into the rest of the guacamole. You can store the guacamole in the fridge this way for up to three days.
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
Instructions:
Guacamole (or Guac as some call it) is right up there with fresh salsa for being one of the most popular dip appetizers. The word “guacamole” dates back to the 16th century and the Aztecs in Mexico, where avocados have been cultivated for thousands of years. The name is derived from two Aztec Nahuatl words--ahuacatl (avocado) and molli (sauce). While there are many variations, traditional Mexican guacamole has only a few ingredients. First of course is the avocado, then onion, chiles, and fresh tomatoes and salt. I do not like hot and spicy food, so I make mine without the chiles. The most important ingredient to a perfect guacamole is the avocado. The trick to making this recipe perfect is using ripe avocados that have just the right amount of ripeness. If not ripe enough, the avocado will be hard and tasteless, but if it is too ripe, the taste will be off. Guacamole is best eaten right after it is made. The avocados start to oxidize and turn brown once they have been cut. Therefore, the acid in the lime juice you add to the guacamole can help slow down that process. Now, let's cook!
Storage: The trick to keeping guacamole green is to make sure air does not touch it. Transfer it to a container, cover it with plastic wrap, and press down on the plastic wrap to squeeze out any air pockets. Make sure any exposed surface of the guacamole is touching the plastic wrap, not air. This will keep the amount of browning to a minimum. If you leave the guacamole exposed to air, it will start to brown and discolor. That browning is not very appetizing, but the guacamole is still good. You can either scrape off the brown parts and discard them or stir them into the rest of the guacamole. You can store the guacamole in the fridge this way for up to three days.
Course: Appetizer
Servings: 6-8
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 0 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Ingredients:
- 3 ripe avocados, peeled and pitted
- 1/2 cup red onion, finely diced
- 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice (add more or less to taste)
- 1/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves, finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (add more or less to taste)
- Optional:
- 1 tomato, chopped (Roma tomatoes are great for this recipe)
- 1 jalapeño, cored and finely diced (add more or less to taste)
Instructions:
- In a medium mixing bowl, use a fork or a potato masher to mash the avocados to your desired consistency. If you like it a bit chunky, make sure not to over mash it.
- Stir in the onion, lime juice, cilantro, salt, until well-mixed. (If adding jalapeños, add them now. If adding tomatoes, stir them in at the very end.)
- Taste and season with extra salt (lime juice, jalapeño and/or cilantro) if needed.
- Serve immediately with tortilla chips or fresh veggies and enjoy!