Growing up as a Mexican-American girl in the 90s, one of my fondest memories is eating guacamole and none of my peers (or even my parents’ friends!) knowing what it was. In fact, I recall numerous times when friends would come over for dinner and my dad would make his famous wet burritos or homemade fried beef tacos along with a side of guacamole. Those unfamiliar with guacamole back in the 90s were unsure of the green dip, its texture and even the natural flavor of the avocado. My dad would always encourage our guests to try the guacamole while also joking that it was really just baby poop. (I know, not appetizing!) When the guest would refuse a taste, my dad would smirk and reply, “Okay, more for us!” 

Oh, how times have changed…as someone who grew up eating avocados, it’s crazy to me that in my lifetime people went from not knowing what an avocado was to putting it on practically everything! The most popular avocado dish, by far, is the traditional Mexican side of guacamole. Don’t worry – this recipe is not baby poop! Far from it! I wouldn’t do that to you, we’re friends and friends don’t let friends miss out on good food! 

Guacamole

Serves: 4 as a dip, about 6-8 as a topping

Total Time: less than 10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 large ripe avocados*
• 1 small red onion,** diced
• 1 jalapeno (large or small), seeded if desired, finely chopped
• ½ vine-ripened tomato, seeds removed, diced
• One large handful of cilantro, stems removed, coarsely chopped
• Lemon juice**
• Sea salt 

Let’s do this!

1. Prep the ingredients
2. Start by smashing the avocado. (I’ve found a fork, whisk, potato masher and mortar and pestle to work great.) Season with 1 tsp of sea salt. 
3. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Taste test. If desired, add more salt.
4. Enjoy!

*Try to only use avocados from Mexico. Trust me. I learned the hard way and avocados from Texas, Florida, and Peru are NOT the same. They taste different, sometimes look different, and most often the fruit is very stringy. Californian avocados would be my second choice if you can’t find avocados from Mexico. Also, you’ll know you have a ripe avocado when you can press your thumb into it, when the rough exterior has turned dark (blackish green) and/or when you flick off the stemmed nub.

**This is my secret (shush!): Dice the onions and place in a bowl or a container. Pour lemon juice over the onions until they are completely covered. Allow the onions to “pickle.” This can take a while…I’ve left these onions in Tupperware and stored in my refrigerator for about 7-10 days or you can allow them to soak in the lemon juice while you prep the rest of the ingredients or make the main dish of your meal. If you’re not marinating the onions overnight, I suggest adding salt to the onions. I’ve found this to speed up the pickling process and I often do this when I’m short on time or have forgotten to pre-soak them. Always drain the lemon juice before adding the onions to the avocado mixture. The lemon-marinated onions are the key to the guacamole not prematurely turning brown. Added bonus: This trick helps you to store any uneaten guacamole overnight (which should be a rare occasion anyhow 😉 )