Guacamole with Basil

A few chops away from delicious

Find a better dip than homemade guacamole with fresh ingredients and you will be a rich woman. You don't need to know jack about cooking to make a perfect guacamole. For those who want a few banging staple dishes they can make over and over and always wow a croud, this guacamole is one to keep in your pocket. Or recipe book, or secret lair, wherever people are keeping recipes these days.

Well, something went haywire on the blog site, so my this post was deleted. I am very annoyed, so for anyone who saw the first post, this is a repost and probably will not be as good because I am frustrated. Anyway please read on!

I call him "Guac Man"

A few key elements are imperative to make a guacamole wow a crowd worthy. Haas avocados are a must. No exceptions, must be Haas. I know on the outside they are the ugliest color, but inside is one of the healthiest fats you can eat.

Second, you MUST use fresh herbs and fresh lime juice. Over and over I read in cookbooks that when they say use fresh herbs or fresh juice, thats what they mean. They add a brightness in flavor that cannot be replicated, no matter what. Of course we all forget an ingredient sometimes, and dried herbs or bottled lime juice will do in a pinch, but do your best to get fresh. I will be moving in a few months and I am determined to find a place I can have a small herb garden, or even a deck where I can get some big pots and herb it up!

I made my sweet potato quesdillas with black beans and this time I used some leftover herbs I had from this guac. Boy howdy, a few basil or cilantro leaves on the quesadillas made a noticeable difference. Fresh herbs are just where its at. To see that recipe, click here:Sweet Potato Quesadillas

To properly cut an avocado, remove the pit with a knife, then make criss cross cuts creating squares with your knife and remove the squares with a spoon.

To chiffonade basil, simple gather the basil leaves in a stack, roll them tightly, then cut them into thin strips.

Roll basil leaves, looks like a caterpillar

Slice thin

Guacamole with Basil

The Goods: Makes 3 cups
3 Haas Avocados, pitted and cubed (see note)
1/2 small red onion, minced
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
1-2 tablespoon basil, chiffonade (see note)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 small jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced
1/2 1 small tomato, seeded and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt, more to taste

The Deal:
1. Mash 2 of the avocados until relatively smooth using a fork in a medium bowl. Fold the cubed avocado and remaining ingredients into the mashed avocado until incorporated.
Grab some chips, vegetables, or a spoon and eat YO dip!

For a spicier guacamole, add a few seeds from your jalapeno with the other ingredients. The seed and stem are the spiciest, so use with caution.