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Guacamole

(recipe, Caroline Cummins)

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Introduction

This classic dip is good on much more than tortilla chips. Serve it with Guatemalan-Style Sopes, Mexican-Style Rice, and Buffalo Fajitas. It's also tasty dolloped on chicken-vegetable soup.

Ingredients

1. 2 medium ripe avocadoes (preferably Hass)
2. ¼ cup diced red onion (optional)
3. 3 cloves garlic
4. Juice of 1 lime
5. ½ tsp. red chile flakes, or ½ small dried chile, chopped
6. Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
7. Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish (optional)

Steps

1. Slice the avocadoes in half and scoop out their flesh. In a small bowl, mash the flesh with the back of a fork. (If you have a molcajete, use that instead.) Mix it as chunky or as smooth as you like.
2. Add the diced onion (if using), chopped garlic, lime juice, chile, salt, and pepper; mix loosely into the mashed avocadoes. If using the cilantro, serve with either whole cilantro leaves on top as a garnish or diced leaves mixed into the avocadoes.