Sorry for the horrible and punny cliche, I couldn’t resist. Fitting, I suppose, as I also have a relatively new lack of resistance to a bowl of freshly made guacamole sitting before me. This has not always been the case. Not too long ago I used to loathe avocados. Something about their bland taste and thick texture turned me off, and honestly they reminded me of another of my least favorite foods in both taste and texture – hard boiled eggs. So much so, in fact, I often contemplate experimenting with recipes that utilize eggs (like ice cream, for instance) and replacing them with avocados. Hmmm, I think I need to add that to the to-do list… Anyway, back to the topic at hand. Pinpointing when my feelings for avocados changed is near impossible, but I know guacamole stands at that pivotal moment. Prior to that time, avocados bored me because I found them to be fairly tasteless, even when transformed into guacamole. Somewhere in my food journey, however, I discovered a guacamole bursting with flavor. Holy guacamole! How could that pasty, uninspired avocado morph into something so dang delicious? Suddenly justifying my hatred toward avocados became downright difficult. I realized all they really needed was a little help from their friends, and I set out to perfect homemade guacamole. Pulling inspiration from several different Food Network stars and my personal proclivity for Mexican flavors, I built guacamole after guacamole until I stumbled upon my ultimate favorite combination of ingredients and seasonings. Now, I can get behind avocados, though I struggle with not consuming an entire bowl of guacamole. (And on a related note, I’ve also learned how to enjoy a hard boiled egg – deviled eggs solved that problem! I wonder about deviled avocados…) Prep time: 30 minutes
Non-active time: 2 to 4 hours Servings: Depend on your hunger level... Ingredients
Cut the avocados in half. Remove the pits by using a sharp knife to hack into the pit. Once the knife is securely fastened within the pit, turn the pit using the handle of the knife and pop the pit out. Discard. Scoop the meat of the avocado out with a spoon into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add the lime juice, garlic, and some salt and pepper before mashing with a potato masher. The lime juice not only enhances the flavor of the guacamole but also helps to slow oxidation. After you’ve mashed the avocados to your desired consistency--I prefer a chunky guac--add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine. I also like my guacamole on the salty side and never measure, but I would estimate I typically add 1 to 2 teaspoons of kosher salt, maybe a bit more. Salt a little at a time, and taste your guacamole after each step. More salt can always be added if needed, but if you over salt, there’s little to be done to correct that situation...a mistake I only made once. Cover tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the film directly onto the guacamole to prevent contact with the air. Allow to sit at room temperature for 2 to 4 hours so the flavors get the chance to mingle. Serve with your favorite brand of tortilla chips, jicama, and/or fresh veggies. Just try not to eat the whole bowl. * Depending on your desired level of spice, include some or all of the jalapeño ribs and seeds when dicing. Usually, I cut the jalapeño into four, leaving the ribs and seeds in only one of the quarters. < Back to Blog Posts
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