Simple Guacamole (Appetizer, Side Dish, or Garnish)

1. Peel the avocados and remove their pits. Mash the flesh of two them with the back of a fork or other mashing utensil. Dice the other two into1/4-inch to ½-inch cubes.

2. Mix the mashed avocado with the diced chile pepper, onion, and cilantro. Fold in crema or sour cream and lime juice. Add salt and pepper to taste.

3. Fold the diced avocado and tomato into the mashed avocado mixture.

4. Use immediately or cover with plastic wrap (making sure the plastic completely touches all surfaces of the guacamole so that air exposure is minimized) and consume within a few hours.

   Serve your delicious creamy-chunky guacamole with totopos (tortilla chips) as an appetizer, offer it as a sauce on tacos or tortas,  or use it as a side dish / garnish for grilled meats or chicken.

Notes on Simple Guacamole

• This recipes yields about 4 cups of guacamole, enough to serve with chips as an appetizer for 6-10 people.

• Adjust the level of spiciness in this recipe at will: use less (or even no) chile if you prefer a milder guacamole, more if you love the heat.

• Tweak the texture of this recipe to your taste. Like an even chunkier guacamole? Mash just one of the avocados—or none of them. Want it creamier? Mash all four avocados and dice vegetables very small.

• Due to the raw onion, tomatoes, and cilantro, this type of guacamole does not keep especially well. If you have leftovers that you’d like to save, eat them within a day or two.

• Keep leftovers in an airtight container and place plastic wrap on the exposed surface of the guacamole to minimize discoloration. If guacamole does turn brown on top (the discoloration is not dangerous in any way, just rather unappetizing), either scrape off the dark top layer before using or stir the guacamole well so that it is all a pretty green color once again.

Edited by Robin Grose