spring is just a couple of weeks away, and you know what that means? spring means parties. and parties, mean guacamole. guac is great, but avocados are pricey and can be temperamental. so here are some tips and tricks on picking, slicing and preserving your avocados so that your guac comes out perfectly every time. 

the first thing you need to know is how to pick a good one. good food starts with good ingredients. when looking for a ripe avocado, it is not so much about the look of the skin, but more about the feel of the avocado and the stem test. you want your avocado to feel firm, but to have a slight give when your press your thumb into it. you do not want it to feel soft or mushy. too hard is no bueno either. once you think you have picked a good one, find the top of the avocado where the fruit would have come off of the stem. remove the little nub. 

it should look like it is bright green in there. then you know it is ripe. 

when it is time to slice your avocado, find that little nub where the stem was. start there and slice your knife around the pit in the center of the avocado. once you have cut around the whole outside, take one side of the avocado in each hand and gently twist so that the sides separate. use your knife or a spoon to remove the pit. now, avocado flesh begins to oxidize (turn brown) when it is exposed air. so wait until the last minute to slice them. now that you have slice avocados, it's time to make some guac! 

in a small bowl, combine your tomato, shallots, half the salt and pepper, cilantro and garlic. stir well to combine and set aside. then set up your guacamole bowl. you will want a large bowl and you need your cooling rack. place your rack on top of the bowl. one half at a time, place your avocado flash side down on top of the rack. 

use your hand to press the flesh through the holes in the cooling rack. you get perfect cubes with little time, effort and mess.

after you have finished all your avocados, season with the rest of the salt and pepper. 

then add your tomato mixture into the guac. 

stir well to combine. 

stir well to combine and serve with your favorite chips. now, it is very rare, but sometimes, just sometimes you have a bit of extra guac. there are lots of suggestions on how to keep your already made guac from oxidizing and turning brown. manny suggest plastic wrap or more acid from the lime juice but while researching this post a came upon a method that seems to be a true winner. before you put your guacamole in the fridge to store, cover the guac with a very thin layer of water. the guac will not absorb the water and when you are ready to eat it again, dump the water off the top, stir and serve. 

xo, a

guacamole
serves: 4
prep time: 7 minutes
active time: 3 minutes
total time: 10 minutes
ingredients: 3 medium or 2 small ripe avocados. 2 tbs diced tomato. 2 tbs finely chopped shallots. 1 garlic clove, minced. juice of 1 lime. 1 tbs finely chopped cilantro. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. cooling rack (you can get one HERE). tortilla chips for serving.
in a small bowl, combine your tomato, shallots, half the salt and pepper, cilantro and garlic. stir well to combine and set aside. then set up your guacamole bowl. you will want a large bowl and you need your cooling rack. place your rack on top of the bowl. one half at a time, place your avocado flash side down on top of the rack. use your hand to press the flesh through the holes in the cooling rack. you get perfect cubes with little time, effort and mess. after you have finished all your avocados, season with the rest of the salt and pepper. then add your tomato mixture into the guac. stir well to combine and serve with your favorite chips. now, it is very rare, but sometimes, just sometimes you have a bit of extra guac. there are lots of suggestions on how to keep your already made guac from oxidizing and turning brown. manny suggest plastic wrap or more acid from the lime juice but while researching this post a came upon a method that seems to be a true winner. before you put your guacamole in the fridge to store, cover the guac with a very thin layer of water. the guac will not absorb the water and when you are ready to eat it again, dump the water off the top, stir and serve. 

often when i'm busy, i find myself relying more on salads as a quick go to meal. most dishes require time for prep, cooking, resting and serving. that is way too many steps when i have twenty minutes at home in between class and my next job. so i keep a few different lettuces, cheeses, nuts and fruit (fresh and dried) on hand to toss together in a bunch of different combinations depending on my mood. if i'm lucky and have extra time, i'll grill up some chicken or shrimp to pop in. you could even throw in some tuna if you had some and wanted an extra protein boost or beans would do the trick for that too. 

but the key to a good salad is the dressing. and vinaigrette's are super easy to make (5 minutes or less) and can be stored on hand for up to a week. i love this one because it uses things i usually have on hand and is delicious with pretty much anything you could put in a salad. 

apple cider vinaigrette
serves: 1 cup
prep: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: less than 5 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup good olive oil. .25 c apple cider vinegar. 3 tbs orange juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 2 tbs finely minced shallots. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper. 

in a bowl or small food processor, combine all of your ingredients. 

whisk or blend till well combined. 

if you want a very smooth vinaigrette i recommend blending. if you like it a little lighter with small bits of shallots, i recommend whisking. 

serve or keep in an airtight container for up to a week. 

xo, a

apple cider vinaigrette
serves: 1 cup
prep: 2 minutes
active time: 1 minute
total time: less than 5 minutes
ingredients: .5 cup good olive oil. .25 c apple cider vinegar. 3 tbs orange juice. 1 tbs honey. 1 tbs dijon mustard. 2 tbs finely minced shallots. 1 tsp salt. .5 tsp pepper.
in a bowl or small food processor, combine all of your ingredients.
whisk or blend till well combined. if you want a very smooth vinaigrette i recommend blending. if you like it a little lighter with small bits of shallots, i recommend whisking.
serve or keep in an airtight container for up to a week.