A Delightful Trio

I love avocado. I tend to over-use the word love (and I sometimes "hate" things I only dislike) but I do love avocados. Their skin is beautiful deep purple and slightly lumpy. They fit perfectly in your palm while you slice them. Their flesh is silky and vibrant green and I will eat them plain, entirely plain. 

Since moving to land of Avocado (aka California) I have adapted very well to eating almost everything with it. Likely anything on the menu that is "California style" has avocado on it. We even add avocado to BLT's, which you must try if you haven't. Within a couple of months of living here, I had developed my signature Guacamole. It's the perfect amount for a dinner for two, and can be scaled easily to feed more people. 

This year, the Superbowl happened to fall on one of the warmest days of winter! It was close to 80˚ outside when our normal highs are around 55˚. We hosted a small party and probably spent more time in the kitchen and on the deck than watching the game. Ok, so maybe that was me and some of the other girls, but it was so hard to escape the sun! I made the guacamole as usual, and created a black bean and corn salsa and a pico de gallo for fun. All three were delicious and almost completely gone by the end of the night. Fresh salsas are really quick and simple and you can spend less than you would on sauce in a jar. And they're FRESH! If you can slice a tomato, you can make fresh salsa. (If you can't slice a tomato, maybe you should call me for a lesson). 

Guacamole
serves 2
1 ripe avocado
1 clove garlic
1/2 tsp salt
2 T minced onion
juice of 1/2 of a lime
2 T diced tomato (optional)

Mash the avocado with a fork in a small bowl. Mince the garlic, or use a garlic press and add it to the avocado. Mince the onion and mix it in. Add the lime juice and salt and stir until combined. Adjust salt to taste. Add tomatoes to the top and serve. (Double everything for additional servings). 


Black Bean and Corn Salsa 
serves 4-6
1 15oz can low sodium black beans drained and rinsed
3/4 to 1 c fresh or frozen corn (if frozen - bring to room temperature and drain)
1 jalapeno seeded and minced (add seeds if you like spicier salsa)
1/4 c red onion diced
1/4 c chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
juice of 1 lime

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and let sit for at least one hour before serving. 


Pico de Gallo
serves 4
4 roma tomatoes seeded and diced
1/4 C diced red onion
juice of 1 lime
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1 jalapeno seeded and minced
2 T chopped fresh cilantro

Mix all ingredients together in a medium bowl and let sit for at least on hour before serving.