Guacamole RecipesGuacamole recipes are easy and fun. They are part of the Tex-Mex cuisine and go well with fajitas, enchiladas, tacos, or with beans and rice. The basic ingredients are avocados, lime and salt. Then you can dress it up with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, peppers, cilantro and more. Avocados are native to Mexico, South and Central America. Today 95% of the US avocado production comes from southern California. So they fit in with all Mexican food and fresh California cuisine.
The Avocado is a Superfood The avocado is the main ingredient in guacamole. Avocados are actually a fruit and are high in fat, but most of the fat is monounsaturated fat, the heart healthy fat that lowers cholesterol. Avocados also are high in fiber, folate, potassium, copper, Vitamin E, lutein, beta carotene and antioxidants. It's great that a healthy food tastes so good! How to Buy Avocados There are 2 kinds of avocados: Hass, which is black and has small bumps on the skin, and the smooth, green fuerte variety. I have only used Hass but both will work for any recipes. When buying avocados, look for a slight neck on the fruit, rather than a round fruit. The neck indicated the fruit was tree ripened, which means more flavor has developed. A ripe avocado will be slightly soft to the touch. If yours isn't ripe, leave it on a kitchen counter until it softens. Do not refrigerate until it's ripe. Avocados are on the list of low pesticides produce. This is good news, since avocados are pricey and organics really pricey! So you can feel safe buying a conventional avocado. In the Kitchen To open the avocado, cut into half with a chef's knife. Twist and pull apart. Then put your knife forcefully into the pit and pull it out. Then scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Here's some Guacamole Recipes Guacamole Recipes #1: Basic Guacamole 3 medium avocados 1 small tomato, chopped 2 Tbsp white onions, chopped fine 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 cup lemon or lime juice 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper or 1 small jalapeno, diced finely 1/2 to 1/4 tsp sea salt, to taste 2 Tbsp bell pepper Directions: mash avocado in a bowl, and mix in other ingredients. Serve with chips, tortillas, or vegetables like celery, daikon root, and carrot sticks. Guacamole Recipes #2: Avocado Spread A quick snack for one. Makes enough to wrap in 2 corn tortillas. 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1/2 avocado, mashed 1/2 tomato, diced 1 clove garlic, diced 1 stalk celery, diced salt to taste Directions: Mash all ingredients with a fork. Roll up in warm tortillas. Makes enough for 1-2 tortillas. You could add the following to make a taco: shredded lettuce, black olives, sprouts, red bell peppers. Guacamole Recipes #3: Pico de Gallo, (Mexican salsa) Makes about 4 cups 1 1/2 cups diced ripe tomatoes 1 cup chopped white onion 1 1/2 cups diced ripe avocado 1/2 tsp cayenne 1/4 cup chopped cilantro Directions: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 2 hours to blend the flavors Guacamole Recipes #4: Avo-Green Sauce 1/2 cucumber, peeled and chopped 1 avocado 2 stalks celery sea salt to taste 1/4 cup lemon juice Directions: Mix all in a blender and serve as a sauce, or thin it with a little water and serve as a dressing. Guacamole Recipes #5: Spicy Mexican Salad This is good picnic food. It goes beyond traditional guacamole with the addition of beans and corn to make a full meal. 1 cup black beans 1 cup corn kernels, cooked 1 avocado, coarsely chopped 10 green olives, pitted and chopped 1/2 cup cilantro salt to taste 2 tbsp lemon juice or more to taste 1 sliced jalapeno without seeds, or cayenne pepper to taste 1 Tbsp olive oil Directions: Combine beans, corn, avocado, olives, and cilantro in a bowl. Mix in salt, olive oil and lemon to taste. Serve on a led of lettuce with corn chips.
You might also like these vegie recipes: Hummus recipes with garbanzos, tahini and lemon Carrot recipes, great for snacks Kale recipes are super healthy Roasted vegies are easy to make Salsa recipes are fun and spicy! Spinach recipes, cooked and raw Strawberries, luscious and sweet Winter squash recipes for cooler weather Cultured vegetables are easy to make Fall vegie recipes with cauliflower, squash, apples, and walnuts Here's a simple white bean soup recipe |
