Guacamole is more popular than ever and a snap to make. Early Spanish settlers called this Mexican favorite the butter of the poor, because it was flavorful, inexpensive and easily incorporated into a variety of meals. Made from nutrient rich avocados, guacamole is well loved throughout North America.

Fresh ingredients will always give you the best results when making guacamole. Look for avocados that are ripe and soft enough to give under firm pressure, but not so ripe that they dent. If you can only find hard avocados, keep them in a paper bag at room temperature for a few days to ripen. Ripe avocados can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two days.

Ingredients:

• 2 Ripe avocados, halved seeded and pulp scooped out and cut up
• 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup chopped tomato (experiment with more if you like the flavor)
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 2 Tablespoons fresh cilantro
• 1-2 fresh Serrano or Jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped (the Serrano peppers will have more heat than the Jalapenos)
• 1/4-teaspoon salt

Options For Serving

• Add guacamole to a tortilla wrap with your favorite fillings.
• Use guacamole as a substitute for mayonnaise on a sandwich.
• Create a south-of-the-border burger by adding guacamole to a meat patty.
• Use guacamole to replace salad dressing in chicken salad.
• Serve guacamole with grilled meats.