Guacamole

Most people either love or hate avocados, there does not seem to be any in between. I love them and my husband hates them -- but that just means there's always more for me :) While avocados contain more fat than your typical fruit, they're not as bad as some people make them out to be. They are high in monounsaturated fatty acids, which can help to lower your cholesterol, and half of an avocado is equal to one serving of fruit (you should be eating 4-5 servings of fruit each day).

My husband thinks I'm weird, not only because I love avocados, but also because of how I like to eat them. When I was a kid, my mom would cut them half, pull the seed out, and put a heaping spoonful of brown sugar in the middle for me. I enjoyed the brown sugar more than anything else at the time, but as I got older, I began to also appreciate the richness and creaminess of the avocado complemented with the sweetness of the brown sugar. I don't know if this is just something my mom and her family grew up doing or if it's something that all Vietnamese people do... but regardless of where it comes from, I still love snacking on avocados this way.

One of my favorite things to make with avocados is guacamole. There are probably hundreds of different recipes out there - I've made about four or five of them. Eventually, I learned a little bit of what I liked from each one and developed my own recipe. This recipe makes quite a bit (perfect for bringing to potlucks or parties) but it can also be easily halved. Everyone who has tried this loves it, and one friend even jokingly told me that it gets her "Mexican seal of approval." Ha!

I like to serve my guacamole with homemade tortilla chips. They are baked, not fried, because we all know I need to save the calories for all the other sweet treats I eat :)


The lime juice in the recipe not only adds great flavor, but it also helps decrease the browning that occurs over time secondary to oxidation. If you're not going to serve it immediately, another trick I learned (I don't remember where), is to throw one of the avocado seeds in while you're mixing it all together and leave it in there until ready to serve. I've only tried that once, but it worked like a charm.


Guacamole
from Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats

3/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/3 cup chopped green onions
2 tomatoes, diced
6 avocados
2 garlic cloves, finely diced (optional)
1 tsp salt
2.5 limes, juiced
1-1 1/2 tsp chili paste (or 1 jalapeno, finely diced)
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Cut the avocados in half lengthwise around the pits. Twist in opposite directions to separate the halves. Using a spoon, scoop the avocado flesh out of each half. Throw away the pits and the skins. Cut the flesh from 1-2 avocados into small chunks and set them aside in a small bowl.

Add the remaining avocados and all the other ingredients into a large bowl. Using a fork, mix it all together and mash the avocados until well combined. Add the chunks of avocado and gently mix to combine. Taste the guacamole and add more salt, lime juice, or chili paste to taste.

If you are serving it later, press a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole and put it in the refrigerator.

Serve with homemade tortilla chips for dipping.

Yield: About 10 Servings.