Guacamole

Guacamole is a recipe appearing in The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl.

Official description
If you have my favorite condiment, pico de gallo, lying around, all you need is an avocado and you have the makings of my second favorite condiment: guacamole.

Don't tell anyone what I'm about to tell you: for the longest time, when I made pico de gallo (links here) and guacamole, I treated them as two entirely separate dishes, meaning I'd chop the tomatoes, onions, and cilantro for the pico de gallo. Then I'd turn around and do the same thing for the guacamole. And then the lights went on.

Sometimes it takes me a while.

One day I had the brilliant idea to mash up several avocados and sprinkle them with salt, then simply dump on a big mound of freshly made pico de gallo and mix it in. It was a culinary revelation of epic proportions, and I've made it that way ever since. And you can make it as smooth or as lumpy - as plain or as chunky - as you like. I happen to like my guacamole loaded - with lots and lots of bites of tomato and onion, and big cilantro flavor.

Begin with as many avocados as you'd like. Because I'm an avocado freak, I like to allow three-quarters to one whole avocado per person. But I'm a little excessive that way.

Recipe

 * Avocados
 * Pico de Gallo

Half the avocados lengthwise. Remove the pit and scoop out all the deliciousness onto a large plate.

Next, sprinkle on some salt and mash away with a fork until you get the avocado to the consistency you want. Don't be afraid to leave lots of lumps and chunks; nobody wants perfectly smooth guacamole. At least, nobody this side of the Mississippi.

Now throw on a big pile of pico de gallo.

And stir together gently.

Always test guacamole with tortilla chips so you'll get a more accurate gauge of the salt content. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with tortilla chips, atop quesadillas, spooned over grilled chicken, over taco salad, or on Mexican pizza. Or, if you're like me, just eat it by the spoonful. I promise I won't tell anyone.