ArcaMax

The Great Guac-off...

Guacamole seems to be a universal favorite in the dip category. What’s not to like? Avocado with some kick. That’s all I need. That, and one good chip.

There are so many ways to make guacamole and everyone has their favorite. Many a non-professional chef will put their signature items in their guacamole. It’s amazing how different they all can actually be.

And what you dip with and how you dip can be an important part of the equation.

In a famous episode of Seinfeld (the TV show) the George Kastanza character is caught at a party double dipping his chip in a dip. Watch this. Hold onto your seat. It’s pretty funny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1J3w4cS2MvM

So what’s wrong with double dipping? 1000’s of germs, that’s what. The guy in the episode is correct. It IS like putting your whole mouth in the bowl.

So why don’t people get sick at parties when there’s a double-dipper on the guest list? Reason is, most of those 1000’s of germs are the good kind that prevent illness, not pass it out, but I think you’d all agree it’s still gross.

At The Zola Diet our theory is it’s okay to double dip. We just don’t think a communal bowl of guacamole is a great idea. We’d like to see you make little ramekins of guacamole so each partier can have their own. Or just spoon a portion onto your plate and eat it so you are not sharing the germ population as you dip.

We feel it’s actually important to double dip. When you don’t double dip, do you have any idea how many chips you consume before you and your mate have polished off a bowl of guacamole? Me neither, except my husband and I have been known to wipe out a whole basket of chips eating one bowl of guacamole. And that’s bad.

On the ZReboot portion of The Zola Diet the guacamole is fine. That’s good fat. It’s the chips that kill the whole deal.

Kimberly, our VP of Entertainment at The Zola Diet came up with a brilliant idea. She uses Melba toast rounds with her guacamole. They’ve got some stability. More than a regular chip. She then dishes up her individual portion of guacamole and she can use her chip to dip, scoop off the guacamole with her tongue and re-cycle the chip right back into the guacamole. You could conceivably devour a whole bowl of guacamole with one chip. I think Kimberly usually goes through 3 chips and that’s about my average too.

So think about double dipping. In this case a double dip could help your waistline.

Guacamole
Here at The Zola Diet we have more than one recipe for guacamole. I’m going to share Kimberly’s version with you and well as a guacamole recipe developed by our Director of Electronic Initiatives, Efrem Jasso.
St. Patrick’s Day is the day to bring out your green. So why not dish up some green guacamole?

This is a main food source at the Branch house! We eat this almost every day and love it. It fills you with "good fats" and adds something to almost any other main dish. We love it on the side of fish, burgers and salad. Often it is an appetizer when I'm feeling festive. Lap it up with Melba toast or any raw vegetable.

Serving: 2 to 4 

Ingredients:

2 avocados (ripe!) 

1Tbs lime juice

1Tbs organic hot sauce

1 tsp Braggs Aminos (soy sauce)

1/2 tsp Himalayan salt or grated sea salt

1/2 tsp of garlic powder

1Tbls minced garlic

2 Tbls minced onion

1/8 cup minced cilantro

2 Tbs tomatoes diced (optional) - better in summer.

Instructions:

Mash the insides of two ripe avocados with a fork. Depending on your preference, mash until it's mush or leave some chunks. Mix everything that is liquid and powder, then add onions, garlic and cilantro and stir.

Serving suggestions:

During winter, you might have to plan ahead with the avocados. Look in the grocery store for signs that say, RIPE. If you never see this sign, buy them about 3 days before your Mexican feast. Let them sit in a basket until you can squeeze them. Place in fridge if you need to stop them from getting too ripe. If they are getting very black and develop mold and craters, you waited too long. 

If you can't eat this on the spot, then put the avocado pit in the bowl and squeeze lemon on top and cover. Not recommended unless you have to.

Melba toast for dipping (NO TACO CHIPS!)

Vegetabes for dipping

Eat it with a spoon. 

This makes a fancy omelette topping too! And of course add it to Mexican meals! Just don't put it in the oven, that turns out weird.

Efrem’s Rockin’ Guac(amole)
Here is the recipe contributed by Efrem Jasso.
Efrem says, "This is a really easy to make, great tasting guacamole to accompany any Mexican dish. The key to a really good guacamole is to keep it simple and keep it fresh. Good, fresh veggies are essential."

Servings:

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

1 large, ripe avocado

1/2 small onion, chopped very finely (but not minced)

1/2 small tomato, diced in 1/4-inch cubes

1 small clove of garlic, minced

1 tsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice

1/2 tsp. Cumin

lime wedge (optional as a garnish)

Instructions:

Add all ingredients in a bowl and smash the avocado with a fork until you reach the desired consistency. Some people like their guacamole chunky, I like mine a bit more smooth.

Serving Suggestions:

Serve on Melba toast rounds or on whole wheat crackers. Zola recommends scooping out a portion of the guacamole on your plate so you can re-use your crackers (and consume less of them!). You can squeeze some fresh lime on your guacamole if you want a little more of a citrus punch to it.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Zola

Send email to Zola at zolacooks@gmail.com.