Confession time. The first time I ever made guacamole was a disaster of epic proportions. If you think guacamole can't be that hard to make, you're right, unless you're me and insist on making things extra hard for yourself.

At the time, I had just recently moved out and had pretty lackluster culinary skills. My mom always encouraged me to cook but I was convinced I would either have a chef or a husband who would cook for me and that learning anything in the kitchen was an utter waste of time. Boy, was I wrong.

Mistake #1: Buying under ripe avocados

With a recipe in hand I went to the grocery store. I stood in front of this giant mound of avocados and didn't even know where to begin. Some were hard and green, others were black and mushy. What did I get myself into? For those of you who do not yet know when an avocado is ripe, you want them to be a, dark almost black, shade of green. Hold the avocado in your palm with the stem up. With your thumb, firmly press on the top of the avocado. If it doesn't budge it's under ripe, if it squishes down and stays there it's over ripe. An avocado at the perfect ripeness will depress and then spring back to its original shape when you lift your thumb away.

Left: Checking the avocado ripeness. Right: Popping out the pit.

Mistake #2: Attempting to peel a whole avocado

When I arrived home I proceeded on this grand culinary adventure of mine. The recipe instructed to cut the avocado in half before removing the peel. Surely, this must be a mistake. You always peel your fruit first right? Right? Yes, that's right, I attempted to peel my avocado. I'll give you a moment to contain your laughter as you picture me trying to peel an avocado and then manage to hold onto the slippery flesh as the peel broke away into bits. Has anyone out there tried pitting a peeled avocado? Let me tell yah, it's a real treat! You should definitely try it sometime. Heh.

I then tried mushing the hard, under ripe fruit with a fork. If ever you need a good forearm work out give this a go, you'll thank me later. As the firm, slippery fruit repeatedly popped out from under my fork, I muttered under my breath something along the lines of needing that culinary inclined husband real soon!

After that legendary battle between myself and the avocado, I whipped up something that kind of resembled guacamole. I can't recall where the taste fell on the yummy scale but I can tell you that experience left a lifelong impression on me. I was determined to master the art of guacamole, and I would attempt this kitchen sorcery again and again until I was the guacamole guru.

So now that you've had a hardy laugh and know what not to do when making guacamole, I am going to tell you what to do if you're craving a really killer snack. This is my go to dish anytime we're invited to a potluck BBQ. It's quick, it's delicious, and it's a crowd-pleaser.

I'm going to be honest with you though, I don't have exact measurements for this recipe. It's one of those dishes you need to feel out and taste test as you go. Tasting is a hard job, I know. That said, I will do the best I can to help you make the best guacamole you'll ever taste. I know, a bold claim but I am sticking to it.

Full disclosure, I only used about a quarter of the onion in this photo

Ingredients

• 4 Medium Avocados, mashed
• 1 Medium Tomato, diced
• 1 Garlic Clove, minced
• 1/2 Small White Onion, minced
• Juice from 1/2 a lime
• 1 Tbsp Homemade Italian Spice Mix
• Chili Flakes to taste
• Pinch of Salt

Method

Using a knife cut down into your avocado until you hit the pit then rotate your knife until your knife meets the beginning of your cut line. Twist the two halves of the avocado to pull them apart. To remove the pit, carefully poke the tip of your knife into the bottom the pit and use the knife as a lever to pop it out.

Disclaimer: If you use this method be sure you're not pointing knife down and towards your hand. We recommend approaching the pit at a horizontal angle and not jabbing at it like a reckless maniac.

There are three easy ways you can remove the fruit: (1) Use a spoon to scoop it away from the hard skin in a large chunk, (2) use your knife to cut vertical and horizontal lines into the fruit then proceed to scoop it out with a spoon, (3) quarter the avocado and peel the skin away.

Side note: The second method will give you a head start on mashing and is also handy when adding avocado to salads.

Use a potato masher to smoosh up all of your avocado. Add the minced garlic and tomato. The onion is a little tricky because it's easy to add too much and overpower your guacamole so start with a small amount. The onion should add a subtle crunch and taste. If it's not noticeable, add half a tablespoon at a time until it meets your satisfaction.

Since giving you exact quantities for this amazing guacamole is challenging, here is was the ratio of ingredients looks like when I put mine together.

Before you cut into your lime roll it on the counter. This will break down the inner pulp and give you maximum juice. Getting the right amount of lime can be tricky too so you'll want to sample your guacamole as you mix in the juice.

Add your Homemade Italian Spice Mix. If you haven't already read my recipe for this mix head over to this article on our blog. I know, you're probably wondering what Italian seasonings are doing in a Mexican dish but just trust me on this one, okay? I usually roll my eyes whenever one recipe requires making another recipe but the spice mix is super simple and you'll thank me later when you have it on hand. This mix really comes in handy when you need salad dressing or just want to add some quick flavour to a dish.

Now, how many chili flakes you add is going to depend on your personal preference for spice. I like just a little sprinkling as not to overpower the avocado profile.

Voila! This recipe only takes about 10-15 minutes, if you're not simultaneously taking photos and watching twins.

In summary:

DO	DO NOT
Know how to choose an avocado	Try to use under ripe avocados
Cube your avocado before scooping from the shell	Attempt to peel an unsliced avocado
Taste test as you mix your ingredients	Eat all the guacamole before it's made
Enjoy in good company!	Hoard the guac n' chips!

All photos and illustrations in this post are original work by Mrs. Canadian Renegade.

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