Guacamole

Did I hear you ask for a Superbowl Sunday appetizer?

Guacamole. Man, do I ever love you. I’m one of those people who will sit down with a large bowl of guacamole, grab a bag of chips, and about 30 minutes later look down and realize I’ve eaten the whole thing.

I know, it’s horrible. But have you tried my guacamole? If you had, you’d understand why it disappears so quickly.

A classic guacamole is easy to create. You only need a few simple ingredients, but what makes it so great is figuring out the perfect ratio. I go heavy on red onions and lime, but that’s because I love the bite they give. A lot of people aren’t crazy about cilantro, so cutting back on that is an option (please don’t leave it out – guacamole isn’t the same without it!).

Pick up the ingredients on your way home tonight, play around with the proportions, and figure out what makes your perfect guacamole.

For my favorite guac, you’ll need:

Directions

You definitely want to use ripe avocados when making this. If the avocados at your local market or grocery store aren’t ripe, don’t fret. Take them home, leave them on the counter for 1-2 days, and they should be perfect. If, however, you’re making the guacamole on the same day, better go to another market and search for ready-to-use avocadoes.

Cut each avocado in half.

To remove the large pit, hold the avocado in the palm of your hand and carefully hit the pit with the blade of a sharp knife. You just want the knife to wedge itself into the pit. Then, twist the knife (and pit) with your hand so that the pit becomes loose.

Use a knife to slice the avocado into small pieces, then use a spoon to scoop into a bowl. Grab a fork and gently mash until smooth-ish. (Very technical, I know.) Immediately squeeze the juice of 1-2 limes over the avocadoes. This will prevent them from oxidizing and turning brown.

If you’re not sure how much lime you like, start with one lime and save the other until you’re finished. You can always add more.

Dice a small red onion. Use as little or as much as you like.

I use plum tomatoes because I find they’re easier to slice and don’t have as much liquid. Dice ‘em up and throw ‘em in the bowl.

Mince a small clove of garlic, and then finely chop a tablespoon or two of cilantro. Again, start with a little, taste, then add more.

Season with lots of salt and pepper, stir it all up, and beg your fiancé to go buy some chips. (He didn’t buy me any, by the way. Wedding diet in full swing.)

For dinner, I whipped up some chicken fajitas, cilantro lime rice, and served it alongside a big ol’ bowl of guac, and well – you know what happened next. We devoured it. (Okay, wedding diet is only half in swing.)

Superbowl Sunday, please hurry up! I’m in serious need of hilarious commercials and (duh) more guacamole.