Recipe: Healthy Guacamole Dip

These days few people don't know about the powerful health benefits of avocados - a superfood in their own right. And although there are many ways to enjoy avocados (when I lived in Texas and could get them cheap and fresh all the time, a sliced avocado with a squeeze of lemon or lime juice, fresh ground pepper, and sea salt was a favorite snack), the classic avocado treat is guacamole. It's easy to make your own, and there are tons of fun variations, but for an extra boost of healthy veggies, try this one at your next potluck or picnic. Yum!

A bowl of guacamole beside a tomato and a cut avocado. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Delightful Guacamole Dip

Ingredients:

4 to 5 ripe avocados
2 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 cup finely chopped plum tomatoes
1/2 cup finely chopped green onion
1 garlic clove, grated
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
Sprinkle of red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions: 

• Peel avocados and scoop out into a bowl; add the lime juice and mash avocados coarsly with a fork
• Add the remaining ingredients and stir together until combined well.
• Serve immediately as a vegetable dip, cracker or tortilla dip, or with jumbo shrimp.
• Store any remaining guacamole in a sealed container in the refrigerator.

TIP: To keep the surface of the guacamole from turning brown, save the pits from the avocados, and stick them into the guacamole before covering tightly. Remove pits before serving. (It really works!)