I love avocado! I slice and dice it and put it on or in virtually anything I can dream up. It’s on my eggs for breakfast, in my sandwich or on a salad for lunch or on top of rice and beans for dinner. Not all on the same day though.

Of course, one of the most popular ways to use avocado is to make guacamole. Last night I decided to whip some up to go along with the Burrito Bar I made for dinner. Here’s my recipe.

SPICY GUACAMOLE

• 2 very ripe avocados (some brown is ok)
• Juice of 1/2 a lime
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
• 1 Tbsp. finely chopped jalapeno
• 2 Tbsp. finely chopped tomato
• 1 splash of Chipotle Tabasco
• 1/4 tsp. salt

Dice avocado and place in a bowl. (See below for how I cut an avocado). Pour lime juice over top and mash together using a fork. Add onion, jalapeño, tomato, Tabasco and salt and stir well. Devour with chips, veggies or on top of anything and everything.

VEGETABLE BURRITO BOWL

You may know by now that I’ve gone back to my vegetarian ways. In a separate post I’ll explain more about why I made the switch and how I ensure I eat properly to fuel my marathon training runs and races. On a busy evening full of kids activities, Burrito Bar has become one of my favorite standby meals. I put out brown rice, black beans, corn, sautéed peppers and onions, diced tomatoes, a little shredded cheese and guacamole along with some grilled chicken for those in my house who do eat meat.

My husband likes to wrap it all up in a whole wheat tortilla, while the kids and I typically dump everything into a bowl and enjoy it with a spoon. Next time I’m going to try wrapping it up in lettuce. Here’s how my burrito bowl typically looks. Sometimes I add other vegetables too.

PICKING THE PERFECT AVOCADO

Now let’s back up a bit. After having been married to a fourth generation produce salesman for 11 years, I’ve learned how to select the perfect avocado. When you’re walking through the grocery store, select an avocado that is still firm and gives just the tiniest bit when you squeeze it. If it feels squishy, it is already too ripe and will be brown and mushy inside. The skin should still look shiny and not brittle. If you want to get avocados to use a couple of days from now, pick the harder ones and leave them out on the counter. To help them ripen up faster, you can also place them in a brown paper lunch sack and close it up. This one is perfectly ripe.

HOW TO CUT AN AVOCADO

This one got a little over-ripe. These are the avocados I use to make guacamole because any brown areas mix in and disappear. They are easier to mush and are perhaps a little more flavorful for guacamole too.

To dice an avocado I place it on a cutting board with the smaller end up. I cut in vertically and slice up to the pit. I cut all the way around back up to the top and then twist to separate the avocado into two. Remove the pit by sticking your knife into it firmly and carefully pull it out. Holding one side of the avocado in the palm of your hand make a few vertical slices and a few horizontal slices. Then use your knife to go around the circumference of the avocado and underneath. You can then empty the squares into a bowl. Do the same with the other side.

THE AMAZING AVOCADO

I’m sure you’ve heard about all the health benefits avocados offer. Here are some of the highlights.

• Avocados are nutrient dense and include 20 different vitamins and minerals.
• Here are some of the most abundant nutrients, in a single 3.5 ounce (100 gram) serving:
  • Vitamin K: 26% of the RDA.
  • Folate: 20% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin C: 17% of the RDA.
  • Potassium: 14% of the RDA. (more than a banana)
  • Vitamin B5: 14% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B6: 13% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin E: 10% of the RDA.

  This is coming with 160 calories, 2 grams of protein and 15 grams of healthy fats.

• They are loaded with heart-healthy fats, most of which are oleic acid which is linked to reduced inflammation and have been shown to have beneficial effects on genes linked to cancer.
• Avocados are loaded with fiber which aid in digestion and help keep you full longer.
• Eating avocados can lower cholesterol

Ok, enough talk. Time to dig in! Enjoy.