What do I love more than margaritas or perfectly crispy tortilla chips on Cinco de Mayo? My true best friend, the Guac-o. I feel like it is just part of the holiday to celebrate all the things you can possibly eat with avocados. And to me, it’s pretty much infinite.
My husband jokes that I could live on avocados alone. (Maybe he’s not actually joking!) He also jokes that he won my heart over guacamole, and he’s probably right about that too. He ordered it on our first date, and he definitely got some points for that. Slick move Josh.
What is the secret to the best guacamole? Just keep it simple to make those guaco-cados shine!
Next time you don’t want to spend $8 on a small tub of guac from Whole Foods (don’t doubt that I don’t buy it sometimes on a pinch– instant guac-isfaction), but you can easily make double the guac-love yourself, in a couple minutes, with only a few ingredients!
Everyone probably does it differently, but I keep my guac pretty #basic:
- Avocados (dice and mush, but keep it a little chunky)
- Dash of salt
- Squeeze of lime
- Tablespoon or two of your favorite salsa
- Splash or two of hot sauce (Cholula is one of my favs)
- If you’re feeling a little fancy you can…
- Add a sprinkle of finely chopped cilantro (some leaves double as a great garnish too)
- Top it off with some Cojita cheese (if you can tolerate dairy)
Now onto the “Cinco” part:
I think of all the ways avocados show up into my life on pretty much a daily basis… on toast, as bagel spread, in my sandwich/wrap, with tortilla chips, as a salad topper, on top of poke, in sushi, in tacos and burritos (and bowls), over eggs, on top of burgers, plain ol’ fried, or as a veggie dip. And the not so obvious… why not add avocados to smoothies, chocolate pudding or mousse, and brownies? You name it; I’ve probably done it.
But here’s CINCO of my favorite ways…
1. As a dipper – Plain and simple, with some good tortilla chips. It’s one of my comfort foods. You usually have to take it away from me.
Some of my favorite tortilla chip pairings: Siete Foods (Lime), Cabo Chips (Thin & Crispy), Have’a Chips
2. As a topper – A taco is just not complete with a little avo-love. We make “taco” chicken a lot. Throw it into taco shells, wrap it up into a burrito, or enjoy it plain ol’ naked in a bowl over rice & beans. In our house, with taco-chicken, must come guac.
Check out our super-simple 2-ingredient “taco chicken” recipe
3. As a smush – On anything – you can’t go wrong. I’ll often smush some avo on top of toast or bagel as I’m running out of the door.
Tip: A little dash of salt can really bring out the flavor – try it! Sometimes I’ll add a little of my favorite seasoning too (I put it on almost everything). Find it here: Savory Spice Shop - Table Mt. All Purpose seasoning.
4. In a salad – I love mixing avocados into a typical greek or caesar salad or just throwing it in to pretty much any kind of salad. This is probably my most common way to eat them, as they instantly add some substance to my leafy greens.
Tip: They go great with acidic things: Tomatoes, citrus fruits (like grapefruit or mandarins)
5. As a treat – Blend-up some avocado in your smoothie to add a little extra creaminess and some extra good fats. I try to always add some fatty goodness into my smoothies, to make them more substantial and me fuller longer. This is a great option if nut butter just doesn’t cut it for you.
For inspo, I’m a big fan of Kelly Leveque’s Fab 4 Smoothies.
**Bonus: keep the seeds and throw them in your garden – you may accidentally end up with your own avocado tree, like I did. PS, they add lots of nutrients to your garden’s soil!
Do you share our avo-love? Tell us your favorite way to enjoy avocados in your life!
Happy Cinco de Guac-o everyday!
XO Bee & Sam