Guacamole

If life gives you avocados, I think it’s safe to say MAKE GUACAMOLE!! That my friends has got to be the greatest quote known to man because truly who doesn’t love avocados, and who doesn’t love guac even more? Well, I absolutely love guacamole and this recipe right here will have you loving it too. This guacamole recipe was perfected with tips straight out of Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and I tell you I can never go back to my old way of making this.

Now let’s get a few things clear, the basics of this recipe will forever remain the same however the tweaks I brought back from Mexico are adjustable to one’s preference. The basics for this recipe that should never be omitted are:

• Avocados - Now I really don’t think this needs be said but here it is anyway.

• Lemon/lime juice - I truly cannot stress enough how important it is to use fresh lemon (or lime) juice so as to avoid the bitterness of the artificial stuff. Also, do not omit the lemon juice because if not that pretty green colour you’ll be expecting will turn into brown muck that just won’t look appetizing to even the hungriest of stomachs.

• Cilantro - I know, I know, it tastes like soap. I can assure that without cilantro your guacamole is forever going to taste like something is missing. Even my picky eater, who very openly shares their dislike for cilantro accepts the herb in this guac because as I said, it’s just lacking without. If you’ve got a non cilantro lover in your home use a very small amount so that it flavours your guacamole but not too much so that it over powers it for that person

• Garlic

• Onion

• Salt

• Pepper

So there we have it folks, the basics for guac. With just a proper mix of the above listed ingredients you’ll have a delicious simple guacamole that everyone will love. However, if you’re like me, you like to kick things up a few notches and push the norm just a little bit. That my friends is exactly what Mexico brought to the table for me. Inside the La Adelita restaurant at the Grand Palladium resort of Puerto Vallarta, I learned that a mortar and pestle were now my tool of choice for guacamole. So long the days of using the food processor and hello hearty chunks of avocado goodness. In addition, I’ve now incorporated two additional ingredients:

• Tomatoes - I was skeptical at first but the tomato brought a certain balance to the guacamole that I can no longer go without.

• Hot peppers - Is anyone actually surprised? I was actually surprised I didn’t think of it sooner. I’m a spice lover so naturally just the thought of adding a hot pepper to something seems undeniably right to me.

So without further adieu, ladies and gentlemen I present to you my recipe for GUAC & Mole!

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Ingredients:

• 2 avocados

• 1 Roma tomato, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 habanero pepper

• 1 small red onion, diced

• Salt

• Pepper

• 1/2 lemon, juiced

• 2 tbsps cilantro, minced

1. Mash all ingredients, except lemon, together with the pestle until the avocado is broken up into smaller chunks.

2. Squeeze in the lemon juice and mix until fully incorporated with a spoon.

3. Ensure that salt and pepper are to your liking before refrigerating until ready to use.