Hole Mole Guacamole

I recently discovered how super, fantastic, easy, fast it is to create crowd pleasing guacamole. The next time you're going to entertain, whip up this little baby and bask in the compliments of all your hungry friends as they gobble up this delish dish.

Shopping List:

ripe avocado (avocados are ripe when they are soft - not mushy, but soft)
1/2 medium size tomato
1/4 medium red onion

From the Pantry:
dash of salt (about a 2 second count)

Tools:
cutting board
sharp knife
sandwich size resealable plastic bag

Consideration: Prepared guac tends to spoil very quickly. To keep it fresh, keep the pit with any leftovers and remove as much air as possible from your storage container. I always keep mine in a plastic bag so that I can press as much of the air out as possible before storing it in the fridge.

Preparation: Cut avocado in half. Scoop out the pit and green "meat" of the fruit and place it into your sandwich bag. Discard the soft, seedy part of the tomato and dice remaining skin into small pieces; place into plastic bag with avocado. Dice red onion into small pieces and combine with tomato and avocado in bag. Sprinkle salt* on top of ingredients, seal bag shut, then mush all ingredients together until well combined*. Place guacamole in dish and you're ready to serve! It's that easy. Remember, save the pit to help keep leftovers fresh (if there's any leftovers left!).

Guacamole is extremely versatile. It's great on sandwiches, with chips (duh), or used as a spread with crudités - a traditional French appetizer of sliced fresh veggies served with a dipping sauce. Mix in guac with a couple tablespoons of balsalmic vinaigrette and have yourself a deliciously creamy, blow-you-away salad dressing.

With about 240 calories and 22 grams of fat in 1 cup, avocado is a very rich food and should be consumed in moderation. This is a good rule of thumb in life thought isn't it? Everything in moderation. The fat in avocado is the good kind of fat, but that doesn't mean that you should just pound it without any consideration to serving size. Check out this article from the California Avocado Commission which talks about many reasons, such as their impressive nutrient content, to make avocados a regular part of a whole foods, plant-based diet.

*The salt in this recipe is optional but, I find that a little bit gives the flavors that last punch that pulls them all together.  
*I like my guacamole a little chunky but if you prefer a completely smooth texture, combine all ingredients into food processor and grind until smooth. Move contents to plastic bag before refrigeration.