These 3 stuffed avocado recipes will delight your taste buds and inspire your kitchen creativity!

If an ingredient can be stuffed, it’s only a matter of time until we find millions of ways to do it. The avocado is no exception. Its flesh makes for a dense, creamy serving cup to balance a variety of textures, tastes, and colorful fillings.

The following three stuffed avocado recipes are my personal favorites. Enjoy!

1. Baked Avocado with Zucchini, Goat Cheese, and Balsamic Glaze

Serves 4

This recipe had me at “baked.”  Most people eat avocado in its raw state, but when baked, its flavors intensify and offer a more grounded flavor profile. This recipe takes it to the next level with light zucchini, digestion-friendly goat cheese, and a sweet balsamic reduction.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados, halved and pitted
• 1 small zucchini, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup Balsamic vinegar
• 2-3 ounces soft goat cheese
• Garnish: fresh basil

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

In a saucepan over medium-high heat add the olive oil and minced garlic. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and set aside.

Scoop some of the flesh out of the avocado halves, leaving a thin layer along the edges behind. Place a few slices of the zucchini in the bottom of each avocado cup, followed by a bit of the avocado flesh that was scooped out. Top with goat cheese.

Place the avocado halves, skin side down on a lightly greased baking dish and cook for 10 minutes, or until the goat cheese is melted and lightly browned.

While the avocados are cooking, in a small pot over medium heat, add the balsamic vinegar. Bring the mixture to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Stir occasionally. After 5 minutes or so, the vinegar will have reduced and become thicker. Remove from heat.

Take the avocado halves from the oven and glaze each with the balsamic reduction. Season each with salt and pepper and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

2. Party Favor Stuffed Avocados

Servings vary

There is no strict recipe for this stuffed avocado tip, but it is perhaps the most approachable and delicious ways to enjoy stuffed avocados without the fuss. You can use any party dip as the stuffing, but I tend to stick to either salsa or hummus. They are guaranteed crowd pleasers!

Ingredients

• Avocados, halved and pitted
• Your favorite hummus, salsa, spinach artichoke, bean, or nacho cheese dip recipe
• Your choice of fresh herb, cheese, or spice garnish

Directions

Scoop some of the flesh out of the avocado halves, leaving a thin layer along the edges behind. Use the flesh as a garnish or eat it by the spoonful so you don’t waste it. Add in the chosen filling and top with garnish of choice.

3. Shrimp Ceviche Stuffed Avocados

Serves 6

This is one of more classic stuffed avocado recipes frequenting the interweb these days and for good reason. I love the balance of the cool, zesty shrimp ceviche and the creamy tenderness of the avocado. This recipe combines a variety of flavors and textures and keeps things sweet, zesty, savory, light, and dense all at once.

Ingredients

• 3 avocadoes, halved and pitted
• 1 pound small shrimp, peeled, deveined, and cooked
• 1 Roma tomato, diced
• 1 cucumber, diced
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
• 1 cup diced pineapple
• 1 jalapeno, seeded, de-fleshed, and sliced thinly
• Handful of cilantro, finely chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Juice and zest of 1 orange
• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt
• 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon mustard

Directions

In a medium-sized bowl, toss together the shrimp, tomato, cucumber, red onion, pineapple, jalapeno, and cilantro. Add the lime juice, orange juice, orange zest, garlic powder, sea salt, black pepper, and mustard. Fold the ingredients together until evenly combined. Cover the bowl and place it in the fridge for 1 hour to let all the flavors marry.

Take the avocado halves and use a knife to slice lengthwise and horizontally along the inner flesh, without puncturing the skin, ultimately making a grid-like design. This is an important step in order to allow the juices of the filling to make way throughout the entirety of the avocado flesh and making the stuffed avocado easier to eat.

Once the ceviche has marinated for an hour, remove the bowl from the refrigerator and toss the mixture to distribute the juices. Scoop a few spoonfuls of the mixture into each avocado half and garnish each with extra lime juice, orange zest, and sea salt.

Related on EcoSalon
Seasonal Eating: Avocados Stuffed with Wild American Shrimp
The Avocado Hummus Recipe You Didn’t Know You Needed
10 Absolutely Delicious Avocado Recipes to Try

Avocado Filled with Shrimp Image from Shutterstock

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Alas, two plant-based favorites – the avocado and hummus – have joined forces to create something we admittedly regret not having discovered sooner.

Avocado hummus is a smooth, creamy dip or spread that sits somewhere between guacamole and hummus, without being decidedly either. It has all the fixings you’ll find in hummus, but its flavor profile takes a turn (and, for the better!) with the addition of avocado. The math adds up – hummus is pretty amazing and avocados are a life necessity, so it only makes sense that when married together, the offspring would be that much more incredible. Just when you thought it was impossible, your go-to snack just got that much better!

This avocado hummus recipe is a straightforward stepping stone into the world of mixing and matching these two delectable treats. The cumin and soy sauce add a touch of unique flavor subtle enough to almost go undetected. Meanwhile, the zest from the lemon juice and the depth of the garlic offset the neutrality of the chickpeas and avocado. If you are looking to dash some of the fat calories, nix the tahini altogether.

Once you’ve mastered this recipe, move on to other variations. Think of it like taking an ordinary hummus recipe, turning it into a unique concoction, and then just adding avocado. Couldn’t be any easier. But for now, enjoy the basics with this delightful avocado hummus.

Avocado Hummus

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

• 15 ounces cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 ripe avocados, peeled, cored and chopped
• ½ cup olive oil
• Juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon tahini
• 1 clove garlic
• ½ teaspoon cumin powder
• Dash of soy sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Place the chickpeas, avocado, lemon juice, tahini, garlic, cumin, soy sauce, and salt and pepper into a food processor. While blending, slowly drizzle the olive oil into the mix until all the ingredients are evenly combined and the mixture is smooth.

Serve with vegetable crudités or toasted pita bread.

Related on EcoSalon

You Are Better Than Hummus

Raw Salad Recipe: Sprouted Hummus Collard Roll

A Foodie Elimination Diet: Citrus-Free Hummus

Avocado Hummus Image from Shutterstock

The post The Avocado Hummus Recipe You Didn’t Know You Needed! appeared first on EcoSalon.

Avocado recipes don’t just have to be variations on guacamole.

There are very few people I’ve ever met who don’t like avocados. They’re delectably creamy, not to sweet, incredibly flavorful and completely satisfying – what’s not to love? Not only are avocados delicious, they are also full of vitamins A, E and K, and are considered one of the most nutrient dense foods packed full of essential minerals, B vitamins and dietary fiber. So try them in our top 10 avocado recipes and fall in love with them all over again!

1. Vegan Coconut Avocado Ice Cream with Strawberry-Hibiscus Swirl – Now that’s a mouthful, and a mighty taste one at that. Pictured above, this ice cream is unique, but so totally satisfying for your taste buds, especially on a hot late summer day. Better make enough as it may well disappear quicker than you might expect!

2. Avocado Buckwheat Pancakes – Try this healthy twist on traditional breakfast favorite to start your day off right. The avocados replace extra butter or oil in this recipe, and make for rich yet heart and skin healthy alternative to heavier classic pancakes. The recipe even offers vegan substitutions for all the ingredients.

3. Avocado Lime Soup – This raw avocado recipe is so simple but full of flavor. Served cold, it is the perfect appetizer for a late summer dinner party or barbecue. Serve it with raw crackers or sprouted bread to stick to the raw food theme.

4. Easy Raw Avocado Fries – Next up is another raw avocado recipe that’s perfect as an appetizer, snack or side dish. It’s super easy to make (basically rolling avocado slices in spices and ground flax seed and dehydrating them) but they’re sure to be a hit!

5. Avocado Macadamia Pear Salad – Decadent and almost dangerously delicious, this salad is great to serve as a small appetizer or side dish. Remember to use organic macadamias and seasonal pears such as Barlett’s or Kalle varieties.

6. 15-Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta – Looking for a quick and easy but healthy main dish? You’ve got it right here in this rich and creamy avocado pasta that is completely vegan. Use your favorite quinoa or rice pasta to make it gluten-free!

7. Salmon and Avocado Rice Balls – This recipe offers up a fun take on sushi that is way easier and quicker to make. You can choose to switch up the filling ingredients and play with different ones like tofu, ginger, pickled veggies or tuna.

8. Grilled Avocado Guacamole – No avocado recipe round up would be complete without a guacamole recipe, and we love this grilled version from Treehugger’s Jerry James Stone. That’s right, you actually grill the avocados before blending them with all those other fresh ingredients, and trust us, it makes a heavenly smoky flavor.

9. 5 Ingredient Avocado Fudge Bites – When you’re ready for a little sweet treat, whip up these quick chocolate avocado bites. They’re entirely vegan and perfect for settling little sweet cravings, and are option for a simple dessert with coffee or tea.

10. Avocado Cheesecake with Pistachio Shortbread Crust – Of course we wouldn’t leave you hanging without a decadent and outrageously tantalizing avocado recipe! This one from Avocado Central is the bee’s knees, and will make you realized that avocados and pistachios were actually made to be together..forever…

Image: Pastry Chef Online

More Avocado Recipes on EcoSalon

Recipe: Vegan Avocado Alfredo Sauce

Sunday Recipe: Baked Egg in an Avocado with Parsley and Goat Cheese

Recipe: Avocado-Chocolate Pudding

The post 10 Absolutely Delicious Avocado Recipes to Try appeared first on EcoSalon.

It’s almost Fryday! And while I don’t plan on rallying for fried foods at the end of every week, something about the sudden spring air makes me want to enjoy with abandon. For days like this, when the breeze is cool and the layers get lighter, naked fries simply won’t do. I want them smothered, covered, and dressed to the nines.

I spent a formative part of 2000 living in a tiny village in the Netherlands. Though it was pleasantly remote and quaint, and like most small towns, closed down after a certain reasonable hour, two things would remain open for collegiate revelry: The Vink (the jolly local bar) and the Frite Stand. We used to call the latter “Crazy Frite Man” because the unassuming little shack had a massive (not just big, guys – massive) statue of a glossy french fry with a face. Alarming decor aside, the Frite Stand had everything tipsy nineteen year olds could want: Paper cones filled with golden, crispy fries topped with a creamy mayo sauce.

Now, I know some of you have an aversion to mayonnaise, and even creamy sauces. That’s cool and we can still be friends, even though I totally don’t get it. And because I heart you, I whipped up a diplomatic mix of oh-so-easy-to-make creamy and non-creamy sauces to adorn your wedges, fries, and tots (and everything else). They’re a little more exotic than your run-of-the-mill ketchup and mustard, ‘cuz that’s the way I like things. So, ready your paper cones and fire up your ovens – this post is all about fries and the sauces who love them.

(1) Smoky Avocado Sauce

Made For: Dipping fries or smothering sandwiches. I slather freshly baked buns with this and top with baked kale and grilled onions, which is a real treat.

Perfect With: Heftier potato pals like waffle fries, baked potatoes, and potato wedges, or for crowning your favorite veggie burger.

Why It’s Awesome: Waffle fries are an especially hearty breed of fry. And they demand a thick, flavor-packed sauce that can stand up to the dipping. This sauce is that – creamy from avocado and Vegenaise, slightly smoky from the smoked paprika and chipotle, and just a pinch of sea salt to mimic the saltiness of the fries. I’ve served this at parties and it’s always a big hit. I also have been known to fold in grilled onions and slather generous amounts on a veggie burger. When that happens, all is right with the world.

Ingredients

• 1 avocado, very ripe
• 2 tbsp Vegenaise (this works well with the soy-free version, as well)
• 1/2 tsp ground chipotle
• 1 tsp smoked paprika
• 6 generous grinds of Trader Joe’s South African Smoke Seasoning (if you haven’t tried this, it will change your life. I seriously am impotent in the kitch without it)
• Optional: 1 – 2 tsp of water or cooled vegetable broth, if desired to make sauce runnier
• Optional: Sea salt to taste

Assembly

Remove ripe avocado from peel and place in a medium bowl. Add in the Vegenaise and mash together until smooth. Mash in chipotle, paprika, and smoke seasoning to taste. Hold sea salt (the TJ Smoke Seasoning has salt in it and may be enough for you sweeties) until the end to taste. I like the sauce to have quite a bit of body, so I don’t add water – if you like a more liquified sauce, whirring in the blender with 1-2 tsp of water will do it for ya. Mash together until smooth, scoop in to a pretty dish for dipping, and serve. Crown with more smoked paprika for presentation.

(2) Bombay Ketchup

Made For: Dipping or drizzling atop a plate of sweet potato tots or anything that could use a kick of Indian spices.

Perfect With: Sweet potato tots, fries, and a delightful complement to crispy chick’n nuggets or crowning your vegan meatloaf for a spicy twist on an old favorite.

Why It’s Awesome: All the comforts of ketchup (or ‘catsup,’ as my Pittsburgh pals call it), with the depth of Indian spices.

Ingredients

• 1 cup ketchup (if you want to be extra awesome, you can make your own. I love this recipe, but never use the fish sauce. OBVS.)
• 1 tsp curry powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• dash of cayenne, to taste
• dash of all spice, to taste
• sea salt, to taste

Assembly

In a medium bowl, combine your cooled ketchup and spices. Save the agave and sea salt until last and add to desired taste. Transfer in to a bowl or a squeeze bottle for maximum ketchup memories.

(3) Sweet + Spicy Mango Mustard

Made For: Dipping rustic wedges, especially if you’re having a beer.

Perfect With: Heartier potatoes that need a kick of sweet, savory, and sour. Also amazing with anything you’d normally pair with a full-bodied mustard, like chick’n tenders, veggie brats, or soft-baked pretzels.

Why It’s Awesome: It’s sweet, spicy, and tart, and will sate any snooty gourmand who sets foot in your home.

Ingredients

• 6 oz grainy deli mustard
• 3.5 oz pure mango puree (no joke, I used one bottle of those organic baby food squeezer thingees because my grocery store was out of mango butter and preserves, and it worked just dandy)
• 5 pieces of cubed, frozen mango (I used the frozen Trader Joe’s kind)
• 1 tbsp green relish
• 1/2 tsp Sriracha
• Dash of smoked paprika, to taste

Assembly

Place all ingredients in a small blender (I used a Magic Bullet because I’m sneaky like that) and blend, blend, blend. Mustard should still be grainy and lovely. Top everything with this.

(4) Horseradish Tahini

Made For: Drizzling atop a basket of freshly cooked sweet potato fries or burgers made with chickpeas that pair well with that savory sesame flavor.

Perfect With: Sweet potato anything. This is also a great dressing for heftier salads.

Why It’s Awesome: A more liquid consistency means that this sauce won’t overpower wimpier, more delicate taters.

Ingredients

• 2 1/2 tbsp creamy horseradish (3 1/2 if you really like horseradish)
• 2 tbsp tahini, stirred
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 tsp soy sauce (or Bragg’s Aminos)
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar
• 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
• salt and pepper to taste

Assembly

Place all ingredients in a small blender (I used the trusty Magic Bullet again) and blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a squeeze bottle for easy drizzling over anything that needs a little spicy tahini love.

(5) Pumpkin Cashew Creme

Made For: Dipping Sweet Potato fries, tots, and even for topping toasted bagels and baked sweet potatoes.

Perfect With: Sweet potato fries and soft-baked pretzels. It’s pillowy, creamy, slightly savory, and sweet.

Why It’s Awesome: Because it sneaks in pumpkin, and that pumpkin gets to mingle with spices like cinnamon and garam masala. Just when you thought fries couldn’t be your dessert, here they are.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
• 1/2 cup cashews, soaked and drained
• 2 tbsp BBQ sauce (I used Isa’s Backyard BBQ Sauce from Veganomicon because, well, everything she touches turns to culinary gold.)
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp agave nectar
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• Dash of cumin, to taste
• Dash of salt, to taste
• Optional: Dash of Chipotle Hot Sauce (I used Chipotle Tabasco)

Assembly

Place all ingredients in a small blender and blend until smooth. Add additional salt or hot sauce to taste. Sauce will have a slightly whipped consistency, so it’s fun to plate immediately atop sweet potato fries or a baked sweet potato. Or cool and serve with cinnamon raisin bagel chips later. – Ashlee Piper

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Image: JMR_Photography

The post 5 Spicy, Scrumptious Vegan Sauce Recipes (to Put on Everything) appeared first on EcoSalon.

We often associate the avocado with guacamole, and that’s it. But that would be doing the odd-looking fruit a great injustice.

Because of its creamy texture and impressive nutritional profile, the avocado is a prized ingredient in plant-based dishes. It provides the bulk and the consistency that are usually the product of milk, butter, or cream. These 15 unusual uses for the avocado explore the many ways you can expand your repertoire beyond guacamole.

You may already know that avocados are considered an excellent source of “good” fats. But they are fare more beneficial to your health than meets the eye. Avocados prevent breast cancer with oleic acid content and inhibit the growth of prostate cancer. Avocados also contain lutein for eye health and are known to help lower cholesterol levels due to its beta-sitosterol content. They contain 23 percent of the recommended daily value of folate, which lowers incidence of heart disease, and, they are high in glutathione, which prevents aging, cancer and heart disease. Put those nutrients to work with these 15 unusual uses for the avocado.

1. Pudding

Get your chocolate fix without the dairy and white sugar with this avocado chocolate pudding recipe. The avocado gives the pudding its trademark decadence and the lemon juice cuts the avocado flavor, allowing the cocoa and natural sweetener to shine through. It’s a great way to fill up on dessert without the sugar rush.

2. Mayonnaise

Instead of spreading a layer of mayonnaise on a bun, add a few slices of avocado. You achieve the same creaminess and neutral taste in a lighter, vegan way.

3. Grilled Avocados

To raise the bar on presentation and infuse the avocado with a savory smoke flavor, get grilling! Slice the avocado in half, remove the pit, brush both open halves with lime juice, and then place them face-down on the grill. The grill marks are a feast for the eyes and you can serve the grilled avocados with a few spoonfuls of salsa in their concave centers.

4. Eye and Facial Skin Therapy

Avocados are packed with nutrients, such as vitamin E and A, B-vitamins, folic acid, and potassium, which are enriching to the sensitive area surrounding your eyes and face. Vitamin A helps to remove dead skin cells from the body and the amino acid glutamine helps to clean and protect the skin from environmental damage. Mash an avocado until smooth and apply it around your eyes and face. Allow it to sit for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with warm water and pat dry with a towel.

5. Alfredo Sauce

Alfredo sauce now has a better, healthier half.

Ingredients

• 1 large avocado
• 2 garlic cloves
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• Small handful of fresh basil
• Up to 1/4 cup almond milk (or water) to thin it out

Directions

 Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth. Mix into your prepared noodles of your choice. Enjoy!

6. Hair Mask

To treat dry or lifeless hair, mash 1 avocado with 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil and a few drops of your favorite essential oil. Massage into your scalp and hair, making sure the use your fingers to brush through hair strands, from the scalp to the ends. Tuck hair into a shower cap and allow to sit for 20 minutes. Rinse and then shampoo and condition hair as usual.

7. Baby food

Avocados are a great introduction to solid foods. Their buttery, creamy texture is easy for babies to chew on and swallow safely. Rich in omega-3s and other nutrients, the avocado offers babies a healthy source of plant-based fat. Be sure to pick an avocado that is gives slightly when squeezed but is not mushy. Blend the avocado in a blender with the optional addition of water to thin the mixture out.

8. Fried Avocados

In the world of weird fried foods, avocado takes the cake. Try your hand at this fried avocado with lime-cilantro dipping sauce recipe. It’s a unique, crowd-pleasing snack that is easy to make!

9. Whipped Cream

This recipe pairs well with as a creamy accompaniment to fish and as a dip for vegetables. Blend the flesh of avocado fast in an immersion blender and the fruit transforms into a decadent whipped cream, even with peaks to prove it. Add garlic and spices for extra taste, or make it dessert apropos with the addition of a sweetener and cinnamon.

10. Green Smoothie

Get your greens in with a creamy backdrop to make them all the more appetizing and filling. This recipe for a green smoothie can be made vegan by replacing skim milk with almond, rice, or coconut milk. Enjoy!

11. Crème Brûlée

This has got to be the recipe that piques my curiosity the most. Avocado crème brûlée is an innovative take on the traditional French dessert and is sure to introduce an earthier, deeper taste and texture.

12. Butter Substitute

Replace ½ the butter in any baked recipe with the same measurement of avocado. The result will be lower in calories and yield a softer and chewier result. If you want to replace all the butter in a baked recipe, the ration of avocado to butter is 1:1, but you have to reduce the oven temperature by 25 percent and increase baking time — this prevents the baked good from rising in the middle and then sinking after it’s removed from the oven.

13. Chocolate Cream Frosting

If you are anything like me, the frosting is the best part of any cake. Of course, it’s also the heaviest part. Luckily, the avocado makes a vegan alternative possible.

Ingredients

• 2 avocados
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
• 1/4 cup cocoa powder
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 bar dark chocolate, melted

Directions

Blend all in a food processor until smooth. Apply to cupcakes or cake or eat it as it is!

14. Ice Cream

In the same way avocado brings creaminess to vegan pudding, the fatty fruit does the same for vegan banana ice cream. Alone, banana ice cream is enough, but the addition of avocado creates an even more textured, filling dessert dish.

15. Cheesecake

When I saw this recipe for a green cheesecake, I was floored by the presentation. It makes perfect sense that avocado would be the base to a vegan cheesecake, only because the avocado mimics the thickness and density of cream cheese. Enjoy!

Photo Credit: Ollesvensson, GlowKitchen, 

The post 15 Unusual Uses for the Avocado appeared first on EcoSalon.

The mighty avocado lends itself to lovely variations of the traditional guacamole recipe.

Guacamole in its simplest form is delicious enough, but it never hurts to explore new, creative options that will wow a crowd and take a party platter to the next level. Add these seven guacamole recipes to your arsenal and you’ll never get bored.

1. Hearty Greek Guacamole

Add more texture and surprise to each bite by bringing some Mediterranean flavors to your guacamole. This Greek guacamole does just that with feta cheese, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, olives, and fresh marjoram.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 red onion, finely chopped
• 6 kalamata olive, pitted and chopped
• 1 ounce feta cheese, crumbled
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh marjoram

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined.

2. Sweet Mint Guacamole

Guacamole is a naturally rich dip, but with the lightness of honey and the refreshing aromas of fresh mint, this recipe makes guacamole a palette cleanser of types. It’s a filling way to feel energized.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 1.5 teaspoons honey
• Handful of cilantro, chopped
• Sea salt to taste

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined or mix until smooth in a food processor.

3. Detox Kale Guacamole

If you’re anything like me, I can eat guacamole by the spoon — no dipping fodder necessary! However, as healthy as the avocado’s fats are, too much of a good thing can be…too much. Because of this, I’ve turned to mixing greens in my guacamole in order to reduce the concentration of fat per bite and to boost the nutrition of the entire recipe.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 4 stalks of kale
• Juice of half a lemon
• Juice of half a lime
• Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1 garlic clove
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste
• Dash of red pepper
• 1/2 small red onion

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a food processor until evenly combined. Add up to 1/2 cup water to smooth out the consistency.

4. Spicy Pomegranate Guacamole

Add a sweet touch and a colorful flair with the addition of pomegranate seeds to your guacamole. Pomegranates also bring extra antioxidants to the table and balance the spiciness of the pepper.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
• 1 tablespoon onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 serrano chile, minced
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• Sea salt to taste
• 1/4-1/2 cup of pomegranate seeds

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined.

5. Tropical Mango Guacamole

Welcome a taste of the tropics in your kitchen with this mango guacamole. The mango holds its own up to the dense texture of the avocado but actually lightens the dip with its sweet taste.

Ingredients

• 1/2 mango, skinned and chopped into bite-sized pieces
• 1 large ripe avocado, chopped
• Handful of cilantro, chopped
• Juice of half a lime
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped red onion (about half a small one)

Directions

Toss all ingredients in a food processor until evenly combined.

6. Indian Twist Guacamole

By now guacamole has become such a popular dip that there is no need for a Mexican-themed occasion in order to serve it. However, it’s not something you necessarily whip up for a gathering with an Indian theme — until now, that is. This guacamole variation adds but two spices in order to turn a simple guac into the newest hot-shot appetizer reminiscent of India.

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado, mashed
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Handful of fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon black mustard seeds
• 1 large garlic clove, finely diced
• 1/2 teaspoon Indian curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Fold all ingredients together until evenly combined.

7. Guacamole Hummus

This recipes brings two party spread mainstays together. And, why not? Their flavors balance each other well and they taste even better together!

Ingredients

• 1 large ripe avocado
• 1 can (or 15.5 ounces cooked) chickpeas, rinsed and drained
• 1 garlic clove
• Handful of fresh parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• Sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions

Place the avocado, chickpeas, garlic and cilantro into a food processor. Blend until smooth. Add the olive oil while the food processor is still running. Lastly, add the lemon and salt and pepper and pulse a few times before serving.

Photo Credit: GlowKitchen, Yous A Machine

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