avocado | Fred – a store..

After spending a large portion of today on a bus going back and forth across town to do a few errands, I finally ended up back at home. THEN the real work began, Monday being laundry day AND the day we put out the garbage for pick-up!

Once my thoughts turned to what would be for dinner, I was reminded of two things: I had already announced to my husband that we had to have leftovers for dinner before they took over complete control of the fridge, so that question was answered; and secondly, there was that bunch of cilantro in the crisper that needed to be used before it got black and slimy.

So, in addition to a hodge-podge of leftover chicken, salmon, pizza, meatballs, pasta, asparagus and brussel sprouts, it was time for something new – guacamole!

My husband and I are partial to my guacamole and I think it is one of the best around, if I do say so myself. It is the cilantro that makes it. If you are a cilantro ‘H8TR’, best turn back now.

Since I am of English & German extraction I really can’t say for sure, but I hear that in Mexico guacamole is most often served on lettuce as a salad or side dish. It can also be used as a garnish for tacos, burritos, tostadas, or flautas, as well as a dip with tortilla chips or raw vegetables. I think it would be delicious no matter how you use it!

Sandra’s Rock-a-mole

Ingredients:

2 large avocados, ripe (should be black in colour and slightly soft to the touch)
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream (optional, but recommended!)
1 clove of crushed garlic
1 canned/bottled jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup onion, finely minced
few sprigs of cilantro, coarsely chopped
salt, to taste

1. Halve the avocados lengthwise and twist to open. Remove pit and scoop out pulp, then mash with a fork. Since my carpal tunnel is acting up today and one of my avocados was slightly less ripe and soft than I would have liked, I used a sharp knife and cut up the pulp in the bowl first to make it a little easier for my feeble hand to mash the avocado into a smooth paste.

2. Add lime juice, garlic, chopped onion, jalapeno, a pinch of salt, and cilantro, mixing after each addition.

3. Add sour cream if using – I think it adds to the delightful creamy texture and makes the finished product a little richer, so it is definitely worth using. I use low fat 5% sour cream for the best of the low fat world, while still having some flavour.

I cheated a bit today and used bottled lime juice because I forgot to pick up a couple of fresh limes, but use fresh if you can. They are always better!