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Easy to Make Guacamole!
You can make guacamole that
people will rave about! It’s easy, and you don’t need
any fancy kitchen utensils or appliances.
What You’ll Need To Have
Ready
Assemble the following
kitchen items:
- Cutting board
- Sharp knife
- A shallow-lipped dish or
bowl, preferably with a flat bottom
- A potato masher,
hand-held is better than an electric whipper
Ingredients (for one batch,
feeds 2-4 people as a side dish or dip for chips):
- 2 Haas avocados*
- Fresh cilantro (usually
comes in a small bunch or plastic bag in the produce
area)
- 2 Roma tomatoes
- 2 fresh limes (not lime
juice)
- Sour Cream (fat-free is
OK)
- 1 package of Guacamole
seasoning (Schilling, McCormick, or Lawry)
- Cumin (a spice)
- Your favorite salsa
(homemade or favorite brand)
- Favorite tortilla chips
* Do not use green-skinned
“Chilean” avocados. Haas (or “California”)
avocados have a very dark skin, almost brown, and the skin
has a “wrinkled” appearance. To select avocados that
are “ripe” (ready to use), pick up the avocado, hold
it in your palm (like you are holding a ball), and squeeze
very gently, but with some pressure. The avocado should
“give” a little (that is, not feel solid or too firm).
If it is “squishy” (really soft), then try another
one. Don’t buy too far ahead of time (I like to get them
the day before). DO NOT REFRIGERATE prior to making the
guacamole.
Making the Guacamole
1. Rinse the avocados. With
a sharp knife, but avocado in half. There is a very hard
“seed” inside the avocado, so after you’ve sliced it
all the way around, grasp the two halves and “twist”
to pull apart. You can scoop out the seed with a spoon,
then scoop avocado flesh out of the skin and put in the
dish or bowl.
2. Pinch off several leaves
from the tops of the cilantro and rinse. Trim off stems.
Cut through the leaves many times until as finely minced
as possible. Scrape into avocado.
NOTE: Cilantro is very
potent. Start with just a little bit. After the guacamole
has been completely mixed, taste test. If you need more
“zest,” then begin to add a little more cilantro and
taste. Continue until you have the zesty flavor that is
right for you!
3. Rinse the tomatoes. Cut
in small pieces and then mince as finely as possible. Add
to the avocado.
NOTE: I like to do the
cilantro first, and then the tomatoes, without rinsing off
the cutting board. This way, you can pick up all the
cilantro flavoring that’s still on the cutting board!
4. Cut one lime in half.
Take one half and squeeze most of the juice into the
avocado.
NOTE: Limes can be very
strong, flavor-wise. Start with just half a lime. If you
need more of a lime flavor, after making the guacamole,
you can squeeze in a little more juice. Be careful!
Don’t add too much liquid to the guacamole or it will be
too runny!
5. Spoon in a dollop of
sour cream (about a soup-spoonful) into the avocado.
6. Open and empty the
entire packet of guacamole seasoning into the avocado.
7. Add a “pinch” of
cumin to the avocado.
NOTE: Cumin is a very
strongly flavored spice. Add in just a little bit at a
time until you have the right taste that’s best for you.
8. Add a spoonful of salsa
(about a soup-spoonful) to the avocado.
Now that you have all the
ingredients in one bowl, begin to mash (with your potato
masher). Continue mashing until almost all of the avocado
has been mashed smooth (that is, mash until only little
chunks of avocado are left, some avocado will be
thoroughly mashed like mashed potatoes).
Taste, using a chip that
you are going to serve with it. Depending on your personal
preferences, you can now begin to add small amounts of
cilantro, lime, and cumin until you have just the right
zestiness! If you go overboard on any one ingredient, you
can offset with little pinches of sugar (add in a pinch at
a time, mix well, and taste), until you have the perfect
flavor.
Provides enough dip for 2-4
people. If using as a side dish to tacos, burritos, or
fajitas, you might want to double the recipe so that you
have enough for the side dish and as a dip for chips.
When To Make and How To
Store Your Guacamole
You can make the guacamole
ahead of time, although I recommend that you make it the
same day that you are going to serve it.
Put freshly made guacamole
in a glass dish or container, and refrigerate. If you are
going to be refrigerating for more than 6 hours, add 1
teaspoon of reconstituted lemon juice, and mix in well.
This will prevent the guacamole from turning brown.
When you are ready to
serve, I suggest that you serve in a wooden bowl. Using a
cut lime, smear the inside of the wooden bowl with just
enough lime juice to wet the surface. Spoon in the
guacamole.
For a festive touch, spoon
a very small dollop of sour cream into the middle of the
guacamole. Break off one or two leaves of cilantro,
leaving enough stem so that you can push down into the
sour cream (so that the cilantro leaves stand up). Then
rim the outer edge of the guacamole with a little bit of
freshly minced tomato.
Serve with chips or as a
side dish to your favorite Mexican or Tex-Mex meal!
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