Guacamole

November 14: National Guacamole Day

An avocado tree used to grow in the backyard of Islander’s Pearl Harbor home when she was a little girl. It provided shade from the hot Hawaiian sun as well as fresh fruit for the family. They would simply slice an avocado and mix it with condensed milk for a quick, cool and creamy Asian-style dessert.

However, avocados are most popular as the ingredient base for a Mexican dip called guacamole. The meat of the fruit is mashed and combined with onions, tomatoes, peppers, lime or lemon juice (to prevent it from browning) and other seasonings, and is served with crispy tortilla chips as an appetizer.

The Mexican cooks at Islander’s brother’s Catholic community in Texas prepare traditional guacamole using a molcajete (mortar and pestle). We help them serve the dip with chips to university students at prayer socials and have a “holy guacamole” time with this ministry!

Turn avocados into an appetizer and make Mexican-style guacamole for National Guacamole Day.

Recipe

(Inspired by Gregorio and Sylvia P.)

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• ½ small red onion, finely diced
• 1-2 serrano, jalapeño or chili peppers, seeded and minced
• handful of cilantro leaves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon of freshly-squeezed lime or lemon juice
• salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
• 1 small tomato, seeded and diced

Directions

Slice the avocado in half lengthwise and remove the pit (large seed). Mash the meat in a bowl with a fork (or use a mortar and pestle for a traditional method) until smooth but slightly chunky. Mix in the onions, peppers and cilantro. Stir in the juice and seasonings. Add the tomatoes last. Transfer to a dipping bowl and serve with tortilla chips.

Notes

• We halved the recipe above to feed just the two of us.
• Spices and seasonings may be adjusted according to one’s taste preferences.
• Serve guacamole with nachos (see our blog recipe post) for National Nachos Day on November 6.