Chillin' with Hot Guacamole & Olive Oil

Guacamole Shakeup
with Olive Oil
By Cal Orey

"If you pour oil and vinegar into the same vessel, you would call them not friends but opponents."
--Aeschylus

On Sunday I had making gourmet homemade guacamole (all by myself) on my mind. Ironically, today during the proofing process of my September Earth Changes article about Mother Nature being on vacation--a 6.9 powerful quake hit the Gulf of California... I find this eerie because a few days ago I predicted on

http://www.earthquakeepi-center.com/ that the upcoming lunar eclipse/Full Moon may rock the U.S. --this shaker was widely felt in Arizona, Texas, California--and Mexico (a place the popular dip made from avocados orginated).

Rewind to yesterday afternoon after swimming I went to the store shopping for fresh ingredients for this Mexican delight. Lost. Lost. Lost. I didn't know which avocados to pick. (It's been a 30 years since I made guacamole.) So, I latched onto a woman, Lisa with a child (or two) in tow. It was obvious this woman does guacamole. She helped me choose the soft (but not too soft) avocados; find jalapeno peppers, and green onions (I always buy red onions). Oh, she snagged a lime (I was going to grab a lemon but decided to make the switch. It was obvious. This woman can cook.) And she even told me, step by step, how to slice the fruit before mashing it. It is her dream to have a guacamole at-home party--a contest who can make the best mix.

The recipe I'm using is foolproof because my friend Gemma Sciabica let me borrow her recipe in

Cooking with California Olive Oil: Treasured Family Recipes. We spoke the other day and she spoke of the fresh tomatoes and avocados (she lives in Modesto, Central California). I was envious. Growing fruits and vegetables at Lake Tahoe? Nah. Not in this lifetime.

In one of those little mini mags I used to pen, "From Fat to Firm at Any Age!" I wrote: "Avocados--Although avocados are high in fat, most of it is monounsaturated [like olive oil]. That means it tends to improve cholesterol and protect rather than destroy arteries. While avocadoes do have a high calorie count--324 in a whole fruit--they're rich in postassium and low in sodium for protection against high blood pressure and stroke."

Guacamole

Makes 3 1/2 Cups
1 tablespoon fresh coriander, basil or cilantro, chopped [I passed on coriander]
4 avocados (ripe, soft) [I got 3 nice ones]
1 tomato, chopped [I found plump off the vine ones, on sale]

1 jalapeno, minced [I snatched up a green one]
juice of 1 lime or lemon
salt, pepper and paprika to taste
1/4 cup Marsala Olive Fruit Oil
2 green onions (white part) minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon cumin

With fork, coarsely mash avocado with lime juice and garlic. Stir in remaining ingredients, blend. Garnish as desired. Serve with slice toasted bread quartered or tortilla chips.

Now I planned to make my own chips and got whole wheat tortillas to fry up in olive oil (I did this when I lived in Santa Cruz mountains...when I loved to cook amid Mother Nature.) Today, I'm going to turn to the store bought multigrain tortilla chips (150 calories for 11; some iron, magnesium, vitamin B, calcium, and thiamine). Read: I still have the big earthquake on my mind and am distracted. This calls for stress-busting crunchy chips asap.

The Cooking 'n' Tasting Experience

When I began this small adventure my blood pressure was 107/72 (it's gotta be the swimming and walking/jogging with the pooches)...Once I started, well let's say things heated up. To chill I tuned on tunes--Reggae; Classic Rock; and ended up with Soft Rock. Yeah right. Simon and Seth, my two fun-loving Brittanys tried to get involved when I was slicing, dicing, and mashing the avocados. That wasn't fun. I think I got a hot flash (or two) chasing the critters out of the kitchen. Chopping and adding the rest of the fresh ingredients was quick because the dog duo allowed me do it solo.

OK. I did it. All the ingredients were used except I didn't include garlic; and I should have had larger avocados or added a fourth one. (Probably a mistake. Or not. I don't follow instructions, according to my Home Economics teacher in 7th grade. She gave me a D.) But I did add fresh grated Parmesan cheese on top--that did the trick.

I dipped a few chips into my concoction and the flavor of lime, tomatoes, cilantro, and olive oil came alive. You can taste each ingredient. The best part, it is all fresh and you know exactly what you're getting rather than buying it already made or at a restaurant when you don't know what's really in it. The downside: I need new knives. I want new bowls. I crave a new cutting board. So, that's my personal shakeup today in my kitchen--and gosh, my BP feels lower already now that I'm outta of there!