Have you ever noticed that all Americanized Mexican food contains the same list of ingredients? Cumin, lime juice, meat, tomato, cheese, sour cream, chile powder, peppers, cilantro, onions.
OK maybe not every single one of those, and maybe a few others, but enough that if you have leftover ingredients from one dish, you can probably use them up in a different dish.
When cooking for the print version of Loaves & Dishes, I made an avocado salsa to go with this week’s Chili-Spiced Skirt Steak Tacos (Check out the Food section Wednesday). The salsa called for one avocado, but I bought two to be safe.
The salsa was great, and I didn’t need the other avocado. While scrounging around for something to make for lunch yesterday, I found that and was instantly ravenous for guacamole.
In addition to the avocado, thanks to the tacos recipe, I also had everything else to make some. We even had tortilla chips to dip.
I had no desire to also scrounge around for a recipe even to use as a guide, so I winged it. It made about a cup of wonderfulness, none of which lived to make another serving.
Hard-core L&D fans might remember a guacamole recipe from years ago that left out the mayo and included tomatoes. This is a quick and dirty version, sans tomato, since I didn’t have any.

WING IT GUACAMOLE
1 ripe avocado, peeled and seeded
1 tablespoon light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon any chili powder
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1. Mash avocado. (I used my hands) Stir in the rest of the ingredients except cilantro. Put a sheet of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the guacamole to prevent browning. (If it browns anyway, it won’t affect the taste.)
2. Do something else for 30 minutes or so, to let the flavors blend at room temperature.
3. Fold in the cilantro and serve with tortilla chips.
Note: You can also add a clove of minced or pressed fresh garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder. I was already eating a ton of garlic in hummus I ate earlier, so I didn’t want any more.

First, I need to invite you to upload your recipes for healthy food to GoErie for a chance to win gift cards to Frankie & May Fresh Grocer at West 12th and Peninsula. The prizes are $250 for the winner, and $50 each for runners up.
To enter, visit the GoErie website. The popular vote will determine the three winners and judges will try the dishes to determine the ranking of the top three. You have until Feb. 6 to enter.

Also, check out our new bi-weekly video, “Healthy At Home” video with Melissa Wilson, which launched today. Find it at

Meanwhile, thanks to everyone who entered to win “100 Recipes for Microwave Mug Cakes,” by Stacey J. Miller. The winner is Lynne Pontzer. I’ll pop it in the mail today.

If you are not Lynne Pontzer, you are eligible to enter the drawing for “500 Paleo Recipes: Hundreds of Delicious Recipes for Weight Loss and Super Health,” by Dana Carpender. The author also penned “1,001 Low-Carb Recipes,” if you’re familiar with that. And even if you aren’t.
The paleo diet (aka the caveman diet) is based on what some think humans evolved to eat, meaning no processed food or artificial sweeteners. It’s based on meats and fish, nuts and seeds and naturally grown fruits and vegetables.
The book isn’t so exotic that noncavemen and noncavewomen can’t use it for healthier takes on favorites, including Super Bowl-worthy Guacamole:

GUACAMOLE, Paleo-style
2 tablespoons minced red onion
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 ripe avocados
1/2 lime
4 dashes hot sauce
2 pinches salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro, optional
1. Have your onion minced and garlic crushed and in a bowl first.
2. Halve your avocados and use a spoon to scoop the flesh out into the bowl.
3. Use a fork to mash up the avocado. Don’t go for super-smooth texture; leave some little lumps of avocado.
4. Now squeeze in the juice of the half lime and add the hot sauce and salt and cilantro if using.
5. Stir and serve immediately. Guacamole doesn’t hold up very well.
Serves 4
PER SERVING: 167 calories, 15 grams fat, 2 grams protein, 9 grams carbohydrate, 3 grams fiber, 6 grams net carbs.
– “500 Paleo Recipes,” by Dana Carpender