Hey, everyone!

When I’m thinking of something tasty and healthy and easy, guacamole is often one of the first things that comes to mind. My version is lower in sodium than just about any you'll find in a store (and no preservatives) and, due to the secret ingredient (orange juice), it's packed with flavor! It's great with carrot sticks, multigrain chips, and tacos. There are many times when I’ll cook up a lean protein like chicken breast or shrimp and just eat it with those. It’s also great in wraps, on sandwiches (sammiches), and as a condiment twist for burgers.

Guacamole is fully customizable to you personal preferences. Don’t like cilantro because you think it tastes like soap? Have a date with someone special and are worried excessive amounts of garlic/onion will mess with your mojo? You like your lips to tingle from extreme spice? Don’t particularly like avocados but you know they’re healthy and you want to incorporate them into your diet? No problem!

First thing’s first, the mise en place (pronounced mees on ploss). That’s obviously French, and it means “putting in place.” You’ll want all your equipment and ingredients prepped and ready to go. Grab a mortar and pestle or a small, non-reactive bowl and a potato masher (or a fork will work also) . You’ll be dealing with citrus juices, which are extremely acidic, so “non-reactivity” is an important quality for your bowl to have. What’s the difference between a reactive and a non-reactive bowl? Aluminum, cast iron, and copper are all "reactive." Stainless steel, ceramic, glass, and metal cookware with enamel coating are all “non-reactive.” My granite mortar and pestle is great for the purpose of making guacamole since it’s non-porous, easy to clean, non-reactive, and really kind of cool looking. It’s also great for making pastes and grinding spices if you ever develop the urge to do something like that.

Another extremely important thing to remember when you're making guacamole is to get fresh and ripe ingredients for optimal flavor and texture. That all starts with the main ingredient in guacamole....avocados!

Here are some avocado tips:

1. Choosing an avocado – ripe avocados will be ever so slightly firm, but will give with gentle pressure. These need to be eaten within 1-2 days. Mushy is bad.
2. If your avocado isn’t ripe, put it in a paper bag at room temperature (65-75 degrees Fahrenheit) and that will speed the process. Adding an apple or kiwi will speed the ripening process even more due to the natural ethylene gas they release (and yes, it’s natural/organic). More apples/kiwis, even faster ripening.
   
3. Never put unripe avocados in the fridge – however, guacamole will keep in the fridge for 1-2 days after you’ve made it.
   
4. Put ripe avocados in the fridge to slow down the ripening process.
5. Avoid avocados with dark blemishes on the skin or oversoft fruit (mushy) – you won’t like these.

Once the avocados are as smooth as you want them, simply add the remaining ingredients from my recipe. Be mindful of the salt content since you can easily add more if you want, and you may be eating your guacamole with chips that already have salt on them.

I’ll give you my recipe and preparation method and you can tweak it as you see fit. Note: I prefer a chunkier version, so you can omit tomatoes and use onion/garlic powder instead of actual onions and garlic if you desire a completely smooth finished product. Cut back on the citrus if you do this, however, as you will end up with a more liquefied guacamole. Always add salt at the end and season to your taste.

You'll notice the nutrition facts at the bottom of the recipe (click the link directly above this) make this a go-to snack food or condiment. Lower sodium and fresher than from the store (yes, even if they made it while you were there). Serve it up and enjoy without guilt, Fiscally Fit Foodie style!