Hallie's All Natural Guacamole

I like to keep things simple and easy...note to self...when you JUST get a food processor, practice like they suggest in the guide instead of jumping right in and making Guacamole. I admit - this was the FIRST time I have ever used a food processor of this kind and boy was it an experience! :) I was doing GREAT....first I put in the red onion, it diced it - awesome! Then I added spices and avocado...at the same time, Vlad said, "aren't you going to put a red pepper in there, too?" (I usually do but wasn't planning on it...this time). So in went the red pepper (chopped into 1 inch square pieces) and OOPSY...that should have gone in with the onion...AKA before the avocado....OOPS! It blended into a creamy awesome texture....and you know what happens with green + red...you get a brown-ish color. SO...I figured, it can't taste THAT bad...threw in my spices with tomatoes and pulsed it a few times...wa-lah. PERFECT consistency....if you can get past the color!!! LOL. So I created some sort of new veggie dip, doesn't look like guac and doesn't taste exactly like guac either. Lesson LEARNED!

Here is the recipe for how I successfully make it by hand (can be adapted for a food processor if you follow my tips above for the order of how you add in the ingredients)...

INGREDIENTS:

• 2-3 Ripe Haas Avocados
• 1/4 to 1/2 a medium red onion, minced (depends how much you like!)
• 1 red pepper, seeds removed, finely chopped
• 2 Vine Ripe Tomatoes, seeds and pulp removed
• juice from 1/2 a fresh lime
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• dash tsp black pepper (or cayenne if you're brave!)
• 2 pinches of sea salt (or to taste)
• 1 serrano chili pepper, de-stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS (if making by hand, see above for making in a food processor):

• Cut your avocados in half the long way & remove the big seed (but save it!!! You will see why later!). Scoop out avacado from the peel, put in a mixing bowl. Let me know if you are unsure how to cut an avocado - I can get you some directions!
• Mash the avocado's with a fork.
• Add chopped red onion, chopped red pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, fresh black pepper, sea salt, and squeeze half the lime (the juice!) into the mix. Mash it all in!
• Next add in the serrano chili pepper and mix it in! Taste as you add it in to make sure you don't make it too hot for your liking! (don't touch your face after handling the pepper, wash your hands first - I am warning you...it burns!)
• Lastly, add in the tomato, mix/fold it in and wa-lah! You have some yummy guacamole!
• Want to preserve your guacamole...here are a few tricks:
• Take that Avocado seed and bury it down in the guacamole bowl so it is in the middle of the bowl and completely covered by guacamole! This helps to naturally preserve the freshness and decrease the rate that the guac turns brown!
• If storing in the fridge, be sure to wrap in plastic wrap...BUT put a piece directly against the guac (yes, touch it to the guac) so there is no air available - don't let it breathe! This prevents oxidation  (when air can reach your guac) which turns the top layer brown. You don't want brown guac do you? If you do...you can make the recipe in the food proccesor the way I did (see story above! lol)

Happy Guacamole Making!!!  'Til we eat again....