St. Patrick's Day Guacamole

When I was younger you couldn't pay me to eat an avocado. The texture and taste automatically threw me off. However, my mom was a huge fan and she even made guacamole once in a while. I was intrigued, yet still a little hesitant towards an avocado based dip, but I figured nothing would taste bad with my favorite lime tortilla chips (at least that's what I tried to tell myself). To my surprise the guacamole was delicious, full of textures and taste notes thanks to the jalapeno pepper and fresh lime juice. Now you can find me eating avocado daily, whether it be sliced on toast with a sprinkle of sea salt and cracked black pepper, or whipped up into a dip - guacamole! 

St. Patrick's Day is this Sunday and if you want to be festive and eat something green, guacamole is a great green dip! I'm sure your friends and family will love it too, especially with tortilla chips or vegetables on the side. It's an irresistable winning combination!

Ingredients

• 3 small/medium avocados 
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 small onion
• 1 medium tomato 
• 1 lime 
• 2 tsp dried oregano 
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Slice open the avocados, reserving the pits (they are added to the guacamole later to stop it from browning). Add the avocado to your mixing bowl. 
2. Finely chop the jalapeno, onion and tomato. Add them to the bowl, as well as the dried oregano. 
3. Juice the lime and add to the bowl. 
4. Mash and mix with a potato masher (you can also do this step in a food processor) until you reached your desired consistency. I like mine on the chunkier side.
5. Add sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste! Start with a teaspoon of each and add more if desired. 

Suggestions

• Add the whole pits to the guacamole mix if you're saving it for later because it will slow down the browning process (no one liked brown guacamole).
• Roll the lime on your counter, firmly pressing down because this helps release some of the juices when juicing.  
• I used dried oregano but I'm sure fresh would taste great too. 
• For food presentation, serve guacamole in a white dish. Add a lime wedge to the side and sprinkle some sea salt and black pepper on top. 

Enjoy with some tortilla chips on the side - the lime flavor is my favorite - or some baby carrots and snap peas. Guacamole is also a great spread on a slice of toast because it's healthier than butter because it's real food and packed with flavor.

Q: What green food/beverages will you be eating/drinking on St. Patrick's Day?