Guacamole

Confession. I’ve made guacamole only a handful of times in the past few years. This is because Key Food, on Beach 87th and Rockaway Beach Blvd. has an absolutely delicious guacamole. Guac is a bit of a chore to make and it’s just so easy to grab the container off the shelf. The one I get has the deli label on it, and they have it on Fridays throughout the weekend.

For a person who is “almost vegetarian,” avocados add richness and satisfaction to meals. Not to mention they contain healthy fats and a multitude of vitamins. There’s actually a name for people like me: “flexitarians.” It’s a style of eating that is mostly plant-based foods while incorporating some animal products but in very small amounts. It has flexibility rather than the strictness of being vegetarian or vegan – as the name implies.

However, for a recent get-together,  I was asked to bring guacamole, which in this case involved a large quantity. So I went into mass production mode and made it myself. This recipe is a tasty one!

Don’t skip the olive oil.

Guacamole 

Ingredients:

4 avocados – pitted and mashed
1-2 limes, juiced (or lemon)
1 small white onion diced
A handful of fresh cilantro
1-2 garlic cloves minced
A healthy pour of Colavita olive oil
Salt, fresh ground pepper, cayenne pepper and red pepper flakes to taste

Direction: Using a sharp knife and cut through the avocado to the pit, moving around the pit, on the long diameter of the fruit. Squeeze and scoop out the fruit. Combine all the ingredients and mix together. Add a layer of lemon juice on top to prevent the avocado from browning. Refrigerate for one hour before serving.

A few important tips:

• Make the guacamole the day of your party.
• Make sure you have enough lemon or lime juice to cover the top layer. Seal in an airtight container to prevent browning.
•  Buy two extra avocados just in case when you open them, they’re overripe. I often think I picked the perfect avocado and then come home and find out it’s not

Speaking of Key Food, I have to mention that they contacted me on Twitter and wanted to send me a swag bag because I’m a valued customer. I was surprised and delighted. Then again, I do tweet about their great produce and compressive international isle often – #keyfoodie. Does this mean I’m a food influencer now?

For more recipes  follow me day-to-day on Instagram @theglorifiedtomato