I fell in love with avocados during a little summer stint I had in Chile a few years ago. Chile is like the avocado capital of the freakin’ world! Well, I don’t know if that’s true, but they do grow a fair share down there and I ate avocado basically every day. It really made me appreciate avocado in all of its simplicity. I usually enjoyed it with a slice of Havarti cheese on a piece of crusty bread for a late afternoon snack (in Chile, instead of a full-on dinner, they have somewhat of an evening brunch called “La Once”).
I’m just an avocado fan generally. I’ll eat one any style: whole, sliced, mashed, or slathered onto just about anything.
While I do like some simple guac (like this one here that Tam posted), I equally love guac that’s “fully loaded”, all guns a blazin’! The awesome thing about guacamole is it is very flexible. You can throw in just about everything but the kitchen sink, or just simply mash an avocado and add a little salt…..or anywhere in-between.
This is my “fully loaded” version. And if you don’t have all of the ingredients on hand, or just don’t care for one of them, not to fret. You can just leave it out. Still tastes great! Just a note – I have measurements here for you, but I rarely take the time to actually measure exactly how much of each ingredient that I put in (even though I really did for you!). I just use the good old “eyeball” and “taste-as-you-go” method and it always turns out great. When in doubt, start with a little, and add more as needed.
Also, I was perusing the internet the other day to find out some tricks to keep avocados/guacamole from going brown so quickly (it occurs from being exposed to air – aka oxygenation. Still 100% fine to eat and doesn’t affect the flavor, but just doesn’t look as pretty).
These suggestions (based on some actual trial-and-error experiments) seemed like the winners:
Seal the guac or avocado half in a plastic container. This always works better than plastic wrap. (Plastic wrap is actually permeable so it doesn’t protect it from being exposed to air at all.) Use this method in addition to any of the other methods listed below.
Leave the pit in the unused half of the avocado, or for guac, place in the center of your dip (also, this is a nice little decorative feature for your guac)
Add lemon juice (“paint” on the avocado half that you are saving or add to your guac)
Cut up an onion and place with avocado half of over your guac mixture. Simply remove the pieces before serving.
Fully Loaded Guacamole
Ingredients
- 2 large avocados pitted and skins removed
- 1 tablespoon sour cream
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic 2 cloves, minced
- 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and minced
- 1-2 tablespoons sweet or red onion minced
- 1-2 tablespoons red bell pepper minced
- 1 Roma tomato diced
- dried crushed red pepper flakes to garnish
Instructions
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Mash avocados in a medium-sized bowl to your desired consistently (anywhere from very chunky to silky smooth).
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Add sour cream, lemon juice, lime juice, cumin, cilantro, salt, and pepper, and mix until incorporated.
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Add garlic, jalapeno, onion, and bell pepper and stir until evenly distributed.
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Add tomato and stir gently until evenly distributed.
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Put one avocado pit in the middle of the mixture. Garnish with red pepper flakes and any other extra diced goodness that you may have left!
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Cover and refrigerate until time to serve.
Recipe Notes
Quick Tips:
When I'm doing this fully-loaded version, I like to make a bigger batch. This is kind of a lot of work for just a little bit, so make it count!
I like to process the garlic and jalapeno pepper in a mini food processor to get a really fine mixture for these two ingredients.
Why Roma tomato? They tend to hold their shape and juices in better, so they can incorporate into the guacamole nicely without turning it into a sloshy mess. You can use another variety, but if it is an extra juicy tomato, you may want to remove the seeds to keep a good consistently for your dip.
Preservation tips (to prevent browning):
Add lemon juice to your guacamole mixture.
Place the pit in the center of your guac.
Keep in an air-tight plastic container until serving.
Place onion wedges on the top of the dip (remove right before serving).
Dress it Down:
Pick and choose whatever you don't have in your fridge or whatever you don't care for. This recipe is so flexible! Remember, straight up avocado with a little salt and pepper is delicious, too!
If you like this recipe, you may also like:
Simply Fresh Guacamole, Quick N’ Easy Style
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