A new year means a new salad! And I’ve got just the recipe for you! My Crunchy Kale Salad with Tahini Dressing! Interested? Yeah you are!
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Summer always makes me think of BLT’s. Red, juicy tomatoes piled on toasted bread with bacon, lettuce and mayo. Such a classic and so good. I still love that classic, but you know me, I’m always in the mood to experiment with food! So yeah, I did that and made these Avocado BLT’s wtih Basil Mayo!
Holiday parties are the best!!! Or are they? Hmmmm, as I get older, I’m just not so sure. All of those strategically-placed ingredients on demitasse spoons and fancy mixed drinks served by handle-bar mustache, suspender-wearing bar tenders, leave me exhausted. I don’t want fancy, I want delicious! Don’t you? That’s why I created this simple appetizer for Avocado Pomegranate Toastettes that look pretty and taste great. I’ll leave the drinks and bar tenders up to you!
I Love Avocados + Link
Avocados are great and if you know me, you know I live for guacamole. But sometimes, I could be a little more creative when it comes to what I do with them. Feeling inspired by the upcoming grilling season, I stepped out of my guacamole comfort zone and tried the latest avocado trend, grilled avocado.
And let me tell you this, grilled avocado is awesome. Really, believe the hype. I simply adore the slightly smoky flavor of them and they’re delicious so many ways. Besides being tasty, they still supply that same powerful nutritional punch. All of those satisfying healthy fats can help with everything from cardiovascular health to keeping your skin looking radiant. Time to get to the grocery store and fill your cart with avocados.
5 Ways to Enjoy Grilled Avocado:
- Plain, straight up and out of the skin!
- Chopped up and thrown into salads.
- Sliced and served on top of scrambled eggs.
- Mashed and turned into guacamole (of course!).
- Turned into a salsa and used as a topping for grilled fish or shrimp.
Want more ideas? Of course you do! Check out my Shape.com article on how to make grilled avocado, recipes included!
Award* Winning Guacamole Recipe
*Disclaimer – this recipe hasn’t actually won any official awards or titles. And it hasn’t been entered in any recipe contests or been featured on the Food Network. So my guacamole is technically “award-less,” however it’s unofficially a “winner” (hence, Winning Guacamole) in my small circle of nearest and dearest. And I’m about to let you in on my not-so-secret recipe! But first, there are some things you should know.
Guacamole 101: What You Need to Know
- Pick the Avocado – This is a big deal, so it’s imperative you get it right. How do you choose the right avocado? Depends on when you want to make your guacamole. If you don’t need it until a couple of days from now, it’s ok to buy the rock-solid avocado because it will continue to ripen. If you want it tonight, buy the one that gives just a little when you apply a light pressure to it. Skip the super soft ones and the ones with dents and dings.
- Don’t Skip the Onion – So many people tell me they want to leave out the onion, but I encourage you not to do that. Instead, if onion causes you trouble, consider this little trick – chop it and then add it to a bowl of water. Let it sit there while you’re making the guacamole and then drain it and add it. Soaking the onion will help remove some of the bitter compounds, so you won’t have that pungent onion taste in your mouth.
- Add salt – Every time I make this guacamole someone always asks, “why does this taste so good?” It’s not that I am an awesome guacamole maker or that I have a special guacamole secret, it’s just salt. Yes, you heard me, salt. If you don’t add the right amount, it’ll just taste like mashed avocados and onion. Add the salt, and you’ve become a culinary genius! Afraid of salt, it’s ok, I understand, but in this recipe I’m only using 1/4 teaspoon of salt and that equals to about 145 milligrams of sodium per serving. That’s a relatively small amount considering 2300 milligrams per day is your cutoff.
There, now you’re armed and dangerous. Time to get to the store and stock up on avocados so you can make a big batch of my No Fail Winning Guacamole!
No Fail, Winning Guacamole
Description
A recipe for delicious guacamole that works every time!
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced in half and seeded
- 2 teaspoons -1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
- 1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 1/2 jalapeño, finely chopped*
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped white or yellow onion**
Instructions
- Scoop out the avocado flesh into a bowl and gently mash. Stir in the lime juice and salt. Mix in the cilantro, onion and jalapeño.
- Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- *If you prefer your guacamole less spicy, remove and discard the seeds and membrane from the jalapeño before chopping. Careful, those seeds are hot, so best to remove them with a spoon or knife.
- **Do raw onions bother you? Try soaking them in water first before adding them to your guacamole.
- Makes about 1 cup guacamole.
Nutrition
- Calories: 339
- Sugar: 3
- Sodium: 608
- Fat: 30
- Saturated Fat: 4
- Unsaturated Fat: 23
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 21
- Protein: 5
- Cholesterol: 0
Have you ever…..
1) Purchased the delicious (yet VERY expensive) fresh guacamole from your local grocery store?
or
2) Purchased the not-so-delicious (yet still kind of expensive) prepackaged, weirdly-colored guacamole from your local grocery store?
If you answered “yes” to either of the above questions, then I have an idea that will save your wallet and your tastebuds!!!
My solution? Glad you asked! Make your own. Yup, I said it, make your own. Believe it or not, it’s much cheaper (I just bought an avocado for $1.00) and even more delicious because you control what goes in it. I know, you are worried about picking the right one…am I correct? Well, it’s easy…really.
Most of the avocados in our grocery stores are Hass avocados from California. Because they don’t ripen on the tree, they may arrive to your grocery store rock hard. Depending on when you’re going to use the avocado, this may not be a bad thing. For instance, you can absolutely buy the rock-solid avocado if you aren’t planning on using it within the next few days. Just leave it on the counter and allow it to ripen at room temperature. Once it’s ripe, just put it in the refrigerator until you are ready to use it (within a day or so would be good). If you want to use your avocado right away, be sure to pick one that gives slightly to light pressure. If it’s bruised or dented or super-soft to the touch, it’s not any good. If you aren’t confidant, just ask the person working in the produce section. Trust me, they would rather be helping you than stacking bananas on the shelf.
Now that you have your perfect avocado, you will need to pick up a few other ingredients for this amazing guacamole that you’re going to make. Those other ingredients include a yellow onion, fresh cilantro, a lime, garlic and a jalepeno. Ok, now you are ready!
Sara’s Homemade Guacamole
Description
A simple, spicy guacamole recipe
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 avocado, peeled, seeded
- 2 tablespoons minced onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (more or less based on your preference)
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 tablespoon jalapeno (keep membrane and seeds for heat!), chopped
Instructions
- Place the avocado flesh in a bowl and mash with a fork or a potato/avocado masher. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently to combine. Season with salt to taste. Done!
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 86
- Sugar: 1
- Sodium: 6
- Fat: 7
- Saturated Fat: 1
- Unsaturated Fat: 6
- Trans Fat: 0
- Carbohydrates: 6
- Protein: 1
- Cholesterol: 0