Thursday, September 11, 2014

Guacamole




September 16th is national guacamole day!  Avocados are everywhere lately, as Americans have caught on to the health benefits of this green fleshy fruit and are now slicing it up in sandwiches, over eggs, and in salads.  Avocados are certainly not new, but have been around for thousands of years, originating in Mexico and Central and South America.  

The health benefits of avocado are many:  one-fifth of an avocado has only 50 calories, yet provides 20 different vitamins and minerals.  Some people are hesitant about the fat content, but remember, it contains one of the good fats – monounsaturated - which can help lower blood cholesterol and is considered heart healthy.  So avocados can be a positive addition to the diet, especially if you use it in place of a less healthy fat.  For instance, you could mash up a ripe avocado until it’s creamy and spread on a sandwich in place of mayonnaise.  

One of the more popular forms of avocado consumption is as guacamole.  Basic guacamole generally consists of chopped or mashed avocado, tomato, garlic, onion, lemon or lime juice, and hot pepper or hot seasoning to taste.  But, as with homemade salsa, you can pretty much do what you want with it:  add cilantro, cheese, chilis, chipotle pepper, mango, roasted corn – be creative!  Then serve with tortilla chips, veggie sticks, on a sandwich, on a taco, or with grilled chicken or fish. Guacamole is easy to make at home, or if you haven’t been by the new Guac N Roll in the Ellicott Food Court, check out their homemade guacamole, which is a great topping for a quesadilla or mixed into a burrito bowl.