
Love is guacamole and guacamole is love.
You already know how nutritionally powerful avocados are. With a few simple additions, you can create an even healthier and tastier snack.
My first key ingredient is the shallot. The flavor profile of the shallot is slightly sweeter than a red onion and adds the right bit of balance to the salt and acidity of my mix. When making guacamole for two, one small shallot is plenty. Shallots also have a superior nutritional profile to onions (in part due to density). From nutrition-and-you.com:
On weight per weight basis, they have more anti-oxidants, minerals, and vitamins than onions. They are rich source of flavonoid anti-oxidants such as quercetin, kemferfol…etc. Further; they contain sulphur anti-oxidant compounds…These compounds convert to allicin through enzymatic action following disruption of their cell surface while crushing, and chopping.
I adore garlic powder, but for my guacamole, I prefer fresh garlic and chop it up until it’s nearly mush. I use two cloves.
Got high blood pressure? Eat guacamole with fresh garlic. From whfoods.com:
Equally impressive about garlic is its ability to lower blood pressure. Researchers have known for about 10 years that the allicin made from alliin in garlic blocks the activity of angiotensin II. A small piece of protein (peptide), angiotensin II helps our blood vessels contract. (When they contract, our blood is forced to pass through a smaller space, and the pressure is increased.) By blocking the activity of angiotensin II, allicin form garlic is able to help prevent unwanted contraction of our blood vessels and unwanted increases in blood pressure.
The juice of ½ of a lime gives my guacamole its citrus blast. This mix is becoming a super food. Also from whfoods:
In addition to their unique phytonutrient properties, lemons and limes are an excellent source of vitamin C, one of the most important antioxidants in nature. Vitamin C is one of the main antioxidants found in food and the primary water-soluble antioxidant in the body. Vitamin C travels through the body neutralizing any free radicals with which it comes into contact in the aqueous environments in the body both inside and outside cells. Free radicals can interact with the healthy cells of the body, damaging them and their membranes, and also cause a lot of inflammation, or painful swelling, in the body. This is one of the reasons that vitamin C has been shown to be helpful for reducing some of the symptoms of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.
I finish my simple mix by seasoning with a dash or two of garlic salt and pepper. Voila.
I began this post musing about love because filling your kitchen with your favorite album and the company of a single loved one while you whip up a batch makes for a perfect sharing opportunity of health, flavor and personal connection.
Simple guacamole recipe for two:
Ingredients
- 2 ripe organic avocados
- Juice of ½ lime
- 1 small shallot, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Garlic salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
Recipe
- Cut avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop the flesh out into a small bowl.
- Mash avocados with a fork
- Add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine
Sounds Delish! Going to give it a shot this weekend
Kap ever been to Lolita in Boston? Great Guac…..VIVA LA KAP!
I have to add large handful of chopped cilantro and stout shots of Tabasco. Thanks Gabe for your thoughtful, straight forward commentary on this outlet. Any chance you and George DiGianni (Dallas/Ticket1310) have interacted in past? You as a guest on Sat. morning fitness show would be absolute gold. Ask Sturm.
Thanks, brother. I’ll ask Bob.
Kap, totally off subject here but I am a freshman college baseball player, just starting your 5×5 program and I was wondering how you approached in season training when you played? I will be playing about 5 games a week for most of this summer, should I just try to maintain current strength levels and build in the winter, or keep adding on? Really cool blog btw, enjoying your posts on affordable ways to eat healthy, great for a college student!
Appreciate it, Daniel. I love the 5 x 5 for in season. Pay close attention to your body’s signals. If you get tight or sore, go to 3 x 3 and see if that helps. I trained really hard in season but didn’t rest, recover enough. Make sure you don’t touch a weight on your days off. Your baseball activity will be plenty of work. Make sense? Kap
Yeah, definitely! Thanks bro
Kap- catching up on some of your posts… curious- with you as healthy as you eat- what do you eat your Guac with? Organic chips- like blue corn or ? thanks!