Guacamole

How To Make Guacamole 

Guacamole is a favorite dip in our family. This guacamole recipe is healthy, and with only 7 ingredients, so easy that my boys and their friends often make it as an after school snack. All you need is ripe avocados, lime juice, red pepper flakes, cilantro, chili, chipotle, and salt.

If you want to know how to make guacamole that’s fantastic all you really need is perfectly ripe avocados. I have a couple of quick tips so that you will know how to choose the perfect avocado. First, hold the avocado in your hand and squeeze it, if the avocado is hard it is under ripe, and will not have the proper texture or flavor (it will be slightly bitter and astringent). If the avocado is super soft it is overripe and close to spoiled. The perfect avocado is one that is slightly “tender” when you hold it and apply gentle pressure.

Once you have an avocado that is tender, look at the stem on the top of the fruit (yes, avocado is a fruit). Do not buy the avocado if the stem is black. If that is the case it is overripe and the inside will likely be black as well. Look for a brown stem, which indicates a well ripened avocado.

Perfectly ripe avocados are slightly sweet, incredibly creamy (they are a great base for healthy puddings), and very rich. When mashed, the perfect avocado makes a beautifully smooth dip.

Serves:8-12

Ingredients

• 6 avocados
• ¼ cup lime juice
• 1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
• ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
• ½ teaspoon ground chipotle
• ½ teaspoon celtic sea salt

Instructions

1. In a small bowl, mash avocados and lime juice
2. Mix in red pepper flakes, cilantro, chili, chipotle, and salt
3. Serve over Paleo Tortilla Chips

According to Wikipedia, “Guacamole is an avocado-based dip that began with the Aztecs in Mexico. In addition to its use in modern Mexican cuisine it has also become part of American cuisine as a dip, condiment and salad ingredient.” This simple guacamole recipe is perfect for beginner cooks wondering how to make guacamole, and also perfect for children learning their way around the kitchen.

If you like spicy food, add jalapenos and finely diced onions to the recipe above. To further turn up the heat, increase the amount of the spices in this recipe. Of course if you are looking for an avocado dip that is mild and more kid-friendly, decrease the amount of spices in this guacamole recipe. That’s what I did when the boys were younger.

If you want to make your guacamole ahead of time, throw in a couple of the avocado pits and it will not go brown for 2-3 hours. Serve with Paleo Tortilla Chips.