IOL Food: Avocados Issue 3

FOOD I S S U E 3 J U LY 2 0 2 0

AVOCADO

EDITOR’S NOTE

Av-oh VERSATILE AVOCADO

BLENDER TO BOWL

GENIUS HACKS

HOT OFF THE GRILL

GOOD THINGS

FRESH APPEAL

AS I worked on this issue, choosing the recipes and editing the stories that are included in FOOD, I thought about my love-hate relationship with avocado.

I used to hate it. I had it once as a child and it tasted like nothing.

Whenever I hated anything I had ingested, I would not only rinse out my mouth, but try to scrape it off my tongue, until I realised it was painful and I would probably bleed.

I avoided avocado for more than 20 years, until I found myself at an event where the only thing they served were nachos and guacamole.

I was cringing as I took a chip and scooped the guac. I popped it in my mouth, closed my eyes and was ready to confirm I hated it.

But no. An explosion of flavours burst inside my mouth and soon I had managed to get a whole tub for myself. I haven’t looked back.

I have become a great champion of avocado.

If I could, I would have it with everything. It’s perfect on toast as well as pizza, refreshing as a soup in the summer and delicious stuffed and grilled – avocados continue to rock my world.

I do, however, draw the line at having it with sugar. I do not know what possess people to do that. But to each their own.

Like the previous issues of FOOD, we are celebrating the deliciousness and greatness of avocado – the true versatile fruit of winter. I hope you enjoy this edition.

Let’s get cooking!

Buhle F O O D Editor

Buhle Mbonambi @Buhlebonga buhle.mbonambi@inl.co.za

F O O D Designer Tanya Rondganger

WITH EVERY MEAL

EDITOR’S CHOICE

FAKE GUAC?

Executive Editor: Lifestyle Nelandri Narianan

YOU’RE ADDICTED

Love changes your brain, with heightened neural activity in dopamine-rich areas of the brain leaving you feeling euphoric and slightly obsessive. That beautiful green skin, that velvety smooth texture, and that melt-inyour-mouth creaminess and buttery flavour that gets your pulse racing. Now you know why the Aztecs claimed avocados as aphrodisiacs.

5 SIGNS

YOU MISS THEM WHEN YOU’RE APART Having to live a few months without your beloved avocados – when local avocados are not in season – is torture. Luckily, from March to October, you can eat South African avocados to your heart’s content.

YOU ARE ROMANTICALLY INVOLVED WITH AVOCADO

Obsessed with avocado? Love eating it in any way, shape or form? The South African Avocado Growers’ Association shares five signs that you didn’t choose the avocado life but the avocado life chose you.

YOU ARE A DIFFERENT PERSON

When falling in love, your whole sense of self changes.

Committing to a relationship with avocados brings about subtle changes in your body. Aside from the blush of pleasure you feel every time you eat one, avocados are a source of potassium, and their high monounsaturated fat content helps to reduce blood cholesterol and lower the risk of heart disease (when used to replace saturated and trans fats).

YOU CELEBRATE THEIR SUCCESSES

When the love bug bites, you celebrate your objects of affection’s wins with pride. This is the same pride that wells up inside you when you walk into an eatery and find avocado on the menu.

Not just a little saucy something on the side, but complete dishes prepared by chefs who too have been seduced by the virtues of the avocado.

YOU GET A LITTLE JEALOUS

When hopelessly in love, a certain amount of jealousy can be healthy. Evolutionarily speaking, jealousy helps alert you to potential threats to the relationship. When it comes to your relationship with avocados, this will probably see you making a beeline for the salad at the braai to steal the avocado off the top before anyone else can take it, and other equally self-serving

THERE is a lot of noise these days about “superfoods” – nutrient-rich foods such as avocados that are acclaimed for their exceptional health benefits.

We enjoy avocados in sandwiches, on toast and in smoothies, soups and omelettes.

And as we slice what is technically categorised as a fruit, we pat ourselves on the back because it is such a superfood.

But is it really healthy?

According to the South African Growers Association, avocados are not fattening.

They mention that the exciting truth is half of a typical avocado contains approximately 160 calories – 20 calories less than a small bag of peanuts, and slightly lower than a small slice of cheddar cheese.

They also mention that eating avocado can be part of a successful weight management programme because its monounsaturated oil speeds up the basal metabolic rate. Its oil content may help reduce overeating because you get full faster, and this same oil content reduces the urge to binge on unhealthy foods.

Speaking to dietitian Nhluvuko Ngobeni, he said that avocado is prized for its high nutrient value and can be added to various dishes due to its good flavour and rich texture and that they do not contain any cholesterol or sodium and are low in saturated fat.

Avocados contain good fat, called monounsaturated fat, which is an essential part of a healthy diet. The monounsaturated oil speeds up metabolism and helps reduce overeating because it keeps you fuller for longer.

Avocados protect against various diseases, such as arterial heart disease, one of the South African killers every year.

Avocados also contain more potassium than bananas, and potassium supports healthy blood pressure levels.

They are also good for folate (vitamin B9) intake, which is great for expecting mothers or women trying to conceive.

Avocados offer many health benefits. So why not start cooking with them? We spoke to the executive culinary artist at Granny Mouse Country House & Spa, Wayland Green, and chef Khotso Mosia about the many things you can do with avocado when it comes to cooking and these are the recipes they shared.

Lutho Pasiya

THE VERSATILE AVOCADO

ARE AVOCADOS

REALLY HEALTHY? Lutho Pasiya

1

BAKED AVOCADO WITH SAUSAGE AND EGG

Slice the avocado in half and remove the seed.

Season, then crack an egg into it. Slice up the sausage and place it over the egg on the one side, but not covering the yolk.

Bake in the oven until the egg white has cooked and the juices from the sausage have flavoured the avocado. Serve with toasted ciabatta.

2

BLUEBERRY & AVOCADO MUFFINS

Take your basic muffin mix with blueberries and bake as normal.

Once cooled you can make a cream cheese icing and add avocado purée to the icing and ice your muffins.

This gives a great taste in a different way.

3

EGGS BENEDICT

On a toasted English muffin add crispy bacon, and your soft poached eggs.

The avocado can be puréed and added to your hollandaise which will give it a richer and creamier taste. Spoon this over your poached eggs and sprinkle paprika over this and serve.

4

BACON & AVOCADO WRAP Lightly toast a tortilla wrap and stuff it with sliced-up lettuce, mixed peppers and cherry tomatoes.

Add in crispy bacon and sliced avocado with freshly squeezed lime juice, salt and pepper.

Fold and serve.

GENIUS HACKS

TO KEEP AVOS FRESH Lutho Pasiya & Megan Baadjies

Lutho Pasiya

PERFECT PAIRS SO, WHAT goes well with avocado?

Granny Mouse Country House and Spa’s culinary artist Theo Manny says tuna, chicken and seafood such as prawns are just some proteins that pair well with avocado.

“The cool, creamy texture of avocado goes well with many different flavours which makes them a natural fit for many dishes and recipes. Avocado goes well with flavours like lemon, lime, onions, garlic, grapefruit, tomatoes, lettuce, kiwi, spinach, cucumber, coconut, edamame beans, strawberries and mango.

“Proteins such as prosciutto, bacon, turkey, chicken, eggs, chickpeas, tuna, black beans, pinto beans, shellfish, goat cheese, mozzarella cheese, feta cheese, white cheddar, sour cream and hazelnuts. Herbs that go well are coriander, mint, dill, chilli peppers, black pepper and nutmeg,” says Manny.

General manager at Royal Palm Hotel James Theunissen says avocado can be used almost as often as you use lemons.

“Breakfast meals including avocado as an ingredient are plenty and some basic but nutritional meals that come to mind include, avocado smoothies, avocado breakfast tacos and avocado and fried egg served with rye toast.”

STORING food can be a huge challenge, but a New Zealand mom has revealed her secret trick for keeping avocado fresh for up to a week in the fridge – by using a very unlikely method.

Cherry Gaddes shared her hack on Facebook revealing how wrapping a cut avocado in a lettuce leaf and storing it in the fridge keeps it perfectly ripe and delicious for a whole week.

“Sort of accidentally I discovered that I have been throwing away first-class food wrap.

“Lettuce leaves, primarily the outer ones that are a bit harder, make excellent food wrap!

Since they’re designed for that purpose in the first place... (who knew!). Incidentally, lettuce leaves even keep buns fresh,” she wrote.

More than 13 000 people ended up liking the post, with many commenting wondering why they had not thought of the tip before.

One user, Jan McCombie said: “Oh my god who would have known this?

According to the Huffington Post, if you’re sitting with an avo that’s not quite ripe yet, put it in a paper bag at room temperature. It should mature within a matter of days.

Avocados always ripen from the round end of the fruit, then continue up to the stem end, and should be carefully stored to avoid spoilage.

If you prefer to buy hard avocados, just keep them at room temperature until they are ripe.

To speed up the ripening, place avocados in a fruit bowl with other fruit, especially bananas – or better still, put them in a brown paper bag with a few bananas.

Hard, unripe avocados can be kept refrigerated for a few days to prevent ripening.

The best temperature is 6ºC-7°C (normal household fridge temperature). Lower temperatures should be avoided.

When avocados are ripe, they can be stored at 4°C without damage occurring.

GOOD THINGS COME IN AVOCADOS Avos are packed with nutrients, versatile and easy to prepare.

There’s so much to love about the humble avocado and it should definitely be part of your breakfast.

AVOCADO, EGG AND SAUSAGE BREAKFAST ‘SALAD’ WITH ‘AVO-NAISE’

Serves 4

Ingredients For the avo-naise 2 avocados, peeled and chopped 1 tsp Dijon mustard 1 tsp crushed garlic 1 lemon, juice and zest Pinch of sea salt Freshly ground black pepper For the salad 2 avocados, peeled and cut into cubes 4 quality breakfast sausages, cooked and sliced, or small meatballs 4 hard-boiled eggs, quartered 6 rashers bacon, cooked and chopped Method To make the avo-naise, place all the ingredients in a jug and blend with a stick blender until smooth and pourable. Add a couple of teaspoons of cold water if necessary.

To assemble salad, mix all ingredients in a bowl, and stir through a few tablespoons of avonaise. Put in lunch box containers and keep chilled until eating.

BREAKFAST AVO WITH BACON AND EGG Serves 4 Ingredients 1-2 avocados, peeled, pitted and cut into thick slices Lemon juice Salt and pepper Rashers of streaky bacon 2 English muffins, split and toasted Rocket leaves Poached eggs Hollandaise Sauce 4 egg yolks 30-40ml lemon juice

200g butter Salt and pepper Method Sprinkle the avocado slices with lemon juice and season. Wrap each slice with a piece of bacon. Place on a lined baking tray and cook in the oven at 200ºC for 10-15 minutes until the bacon is cooked.

Place the toasted muffin half on a serving plate, and top with a little rocket.

Add 2 to 3 slices of bacon-wrapped avocado.

Place your poached egg on top and pour over some hollandaise sauce.

Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce Place egg yolks and lemon juice in a food processor. Process until well blended. Place the butter in a pot and heat until the butter has melted and the mixture has just come to the boil.

With the processor running, pour in the boiling hot butter. Season with salt and pepper and adjust lemon juice to taste. Keep in a glass bowl placed over hot water until required.

FROM BLENDER TO BOWL Sometimes, soup is a dish best served cold

WARM AVOCADO AND PEA SOUP AVOCADO, CUCUMBER AND FENNEL SOUP THIS is a lightning-quick recipe for a simply light, refreshing soup, just the thing on a sunny day – but welcome any time of the year.

It serves four as an appetizer or two as a meal, along with some bread, if you’d like.

Ingredients Flesh from 1 ripe avocado 1 large cucumber, chopped (unpeeled) ½ large fennel bulb (tough outer layer removed), cored and chopped 2 tbs Greek-style yoghurt (may

substitute coconut yoghurt) ¼ cup fresh lemon juice, or more as needed (from 1 large lemon) ¼ cup ice cubes ½ cup cold water, or more as needed ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper Few fresh dill fronds Few sprigs of fresh basil ½ jalapeño pepper, stemmed, seeded and chopped ¼ cup hulled, unsalted pumpkin seeds, toasted Extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil, for drizzling Method Combine the avocado, cucumber, fennel, yoghurt, lemon juice, ice, water, salt and pepper in a

high-powered blender; blend on high to form a completely smooth soup.

If the soup seems too thick, add a little more water until it’s your preferred consistency.

Taste, and add more lemon juice and/or salt, as needed.

To serve, pour into bowls and top with dill, basil, jalapeño and the toasted pumpkin seeds, then drizzle with the oil.

Note: Toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry pan over medium heat for about 6 minutes, or until fragrant, popping slightly and lightly browned, shaking the pan to prevent scorching.

Ingredients 4 avocados, peeled and pits removed ¼ cup frozen peas 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeño, seeds and membrane removed ¾ cups vegetable broth 1 tsp ginger paste (or fresh ginger) ½ tsp ground black pepper ½ tsp salt Pinch cayenne pepper Optional: sour cream and croutons for garnish Method Add the avocado, peas, garlic, jalapeño and half the broth (more if needed) to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth or desired consistency.

Scrape down sides of blender or processor to help ensure everything is well mixed.

Transfer mixture to a large pan over medium heat. Add remaining broth, ginger, black pepper, salt and cayenne pepper. Stir to combine and cook until heated through.

Transfer to individual cups and garnish with sour cream and croutons as desired.

HOT OFF THE GRILL

GRILLED STUFFED AVOCADOS

Serves 4

Ingredients 400g tin of chickpeas, drained and rinsed 3 spring onion, chopped 1 small Mediterranean cucumber, peeled and diced 125g baby tomatoes, quartered 30ml olive oil 15ml lemon juice salt and pepper 2 large avocados, pitted olive oil for brushing Dressing 125ml double thick yoghurt 30ml tahini 10-15ml lemon juice 15ml honey salt and pepper Method Combine chickpeas with the onion, cucumber and tomatoes. Pour over the olive oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Set aside.

Brush the avocado halves with olive oil and cook on a griddle pan until charred. Remove and season well. Fill the hollow with the chickpea mixture and serve drizzled with the dressing.

Dressing Combine all the ingredients.

GRILLED AVOCADO WITH VEGGIE CEVICHE Serves 8 as a side dish These grilled avocado halves with veggie ceviche are vegan and gluten-free!

They make a bright, light grilling side or appetizer.

Ingredients 2 tbs coconut milk Zest and juice of 1 lime, plus lime wedges for serving ¼ cup finely diced red onion

½ garlic clove, minced 1 can hearts of palm, drained, rinsed and diced 1 cup cherry tomatoes, diced ¼ cup diced coriander ½ diced jalapeño or serrano, more if desired Heaped ¼ tsp sea salt, more for sprinkling Freshly ground black pepper 4 ripe, firm avocados Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Method In a mediumsmall bowl, combine coconut milk, lime zest and juice, red onion and garlic. Stir, then add the hearts of palm, tomatoes, coriander, jalapeño, salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

Heat a grill to mediumhigh heat. Slice the

avocados in half, remove the pits, and drizzle each half with olive oil, lime juice, salt and pepper.

Grill avocado halves cut-side down for 3 to 4 minutes or until char marks form.

Remove from the grill, place on a platter and fill each avocado half with the filling.

Serve with a pinch of salt and, if desired, lime wedges.

SHOWSTOPPER AVOCADO MOUSSE Serves: 4-6 Ingredients 50g plain low fat yoghurt 2 avocados, peeled and chopped 30g coriander, washed and chopped 200g plain cream cheese 2 spring onions, finely chopped Big pinch of sea salt Grinding of black pepper 1 lime juice and zest 1 chilli, finely chopped 1 cup water 1 packet gelatin Method Place the yoghurt, avocado, coriander, cream cheese, spring onions, salt, pepper, lime juice and chilli in a blender. Purée until smooth.

Pour ¼ cup water in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water and let it sit for a few minutes. Place the remaining ¾ cup water in a small saucepan and bring to the boil.

Pour the boiling water over the softened gelatin and whisk until the gelatin has dissolved.

Set aside to cool slightly.

Add the gelatin to the mixture in the blender, pulsing until puréed and thoroughly blended.

Pour mixture into prepared ramekins or a loaf tin lined with plastic wrap.

Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm (about 2 hours). To unmould, fill a large container with very hot water, dip the loaf tin or the ramekins into the water for 1 minute. Run a small, sharp knife tip around the edge of each mousse. Invert onto a platter.

Serve with Melba toast, avocado shavings and grated radish.

AVO WITH FRESH APPEAL AVOCADO, RADISH AND KALE DETOX SALAD

Ingredients 4 small radishes, sliced thinly 6 cherry tomatoes, cut in halves 10ml virgin olive oil 1 small bunch of kale 1 avocado 50g micro herbs or baby salad leaves 1 tbs coriander leaves, picked 6 strawberries, thinly sliced 2 small white turnips, thinly sliced

60ml pomegranate arils 2 tbs pumpkin seeds, dry and toasted 1 lime Salt and pepper, to taste Method Preheat oven to 220ºC. Lay the radish slices and tomato halves on a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and bake for

AVOCADO SALAD WITH HERBS AND CAPERS Serves 4

5 minutes until soft.

Strip the kale leaves from the stems and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.

Place the kale and chopped avocado in a large bowl. Use your hands to massage and squeeze the avocado into the kale for 2 to 3 minutes, until the kale is dark green and slightly wilted.

Arrange the kale in a serving dish.

Peel the avocado and remove the stone. Cut thin

slices into the avocado and fan the slices onto the serving dish.

Layer the herbs, strawberry and turnip slices, as well as the roasted radishes and tomatoes over the kale.

Garnish with the pomegranate arils and pumpkin seeds.

Squeeze the juice of the lime over the salad, drizzle with olive oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ingredients 1 large bunch coriander 1 large bunch parsley 2 spring onions, very finely chopped 1 jalapeño, seeded and very finely chopped 1-2 garlic cloves, finely grated or minced ½ tsp fine sea salt, more to taste 2 tbs red wine vinegar, more to taste ½ cup extra virgin olive oil, more for serving 4 avocados, peeled, pitted and sliced 4 tsp capers, drained Flaky sea salt and black pepper

B E A U T IF U L LY BALANCE F L A V O U R S MDA THESE SALAD KE S A TA S T E BONANZA

Method Reserve a cup of whole coriander leaves; finely chop the rest of the leaves and tender stems. Transfer chopped leaves to a medium bowl.

Reserve a cup of whole parsley leaves; finely chop the rest of the leaves and tender stems. Transfer chopped parsley to the bowl with the coriander.

Add spring onions, jalapeño, garlic, fine salt and vinegar. Stir in oil.

Taste and add more salt, vinegar or both, if needed.

Scatter the whole coriander and parsley leaves over four serving plates. Fan out the avocados on top, and sprinkle lightly with fine salt to taste.

Spoon the herb dressing over the avocado, making sure to include the oil in the bowl, and top with capers.

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt and black pepper and serve.

AVOCADO

AVOCADO PISTACHIO

FOR EVERY MEAL

Avocados are so versatile, you can work them into every meal, even dessert.

Here are 3 desserts every avocado aficionado should try

CHOCOLATE AVOCADO MOUSSE

Lutho Pasiya

Serves 4-6

Ingredients 2 ripe avocados 60g dark chocolate, melted 60ml coconut cream 80ml raw cocoa powder 5ml vanilla extract 2ml fine sea salt 30ml agave granules 30ml honey Method Halve the avocados, remove the pip and scoop the flesh into a food processor.

Add the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Add more agave granules if preferred. Spoon into serving glasses and refrigerate until set, about an hour.

Decorate with a dollop of coconut cream and an edible flower.

ICE CREAM Serves 4-6

Ingredients 2 large avocados, peeled and diced 60ml lemon juice 5ml vanilla extract 2ml salt 250ml crème fraîche 125ml honey 80ml fresh cream 45ml pistachio nuts, lightly toasted and roughly chopped Method In a blender or food processor, place the avocados, lemon juice, vanilla, salt, crème fraîche, honey and cream and blend until very smooth. Fold in the nuts.

If you have an ice cream machine, it can now be churned until thick.

Alternatively, the mixture can be turned into a suitable container and frozen until solid.

Remove from the freezer 10-15 minutes before serving.

AVOCADO AND LIME PIE Serves 6-8

lime wheels, for garnish (optional)

Ingredients For the crust 2 cups finely ground digestive biscuit crumbs (from about 10 squares) ¼ cup sugar ¼ tsp sea salt ¼ cup coconut oil (liquefied) or unsalted butter, melted For the filling Flesh of 2 ripe avocados, smashed 4 tsp finely grated zest ½ cup plus 2 tbs fresh juice ½ cup sweetened condensed coconut milk 1 tsp vanilla extract Pinch kosher salt Whipped cream, for garnish (optional) Finely grated lime zest and/or thin

Method For the crust: Preheat oven to 180°C. Combine the digestive biscuit crumbs, sugar and salt in a medium bowl. Add the oil or butter and stir until the crumbs are evenly coated, with the consistency of wet sand.

Use a spoon to press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of a 23cm pie plate.

Bake (middle rack) for about 10 minutes, until lightly browned.

Transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 minutes, then refrigerate for 1 hour, or until well chilled.

For the filling: Combine the avocado, lime zest and juice, condensed milk, vanilla extract

and salt in a blender. Purée until smooth and silky.

Transfer the mixture to the chilled crust, then use an offset spatula to spread it smooth and evenly.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, and preferably overnight, before serving.

Garnish with whipped cream and the lime zest and lime wheels, if using.

EDITOR’S

FAUX GUAC?

CHOICE

All the products are available at Loot.co.za. Click on the product/QR Code to place your order and you will have them in less than a week.

IBILI CLASICA DIAMOND & CERAMIC MINI KNIFE SHARPENER R145

EFFECTUAL GUIDE TO AVOCADO OIL BY EDWARD JAMES.

Your knives need to be really sharp for you to perfectly slice an avocado. This knife sharpener is the perfect tool to have in your kitchen.

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PROGRESSIVE AVOCADO SLICER R113

VERIMARK TWISTA PRESS CHOPPER

Create perfect avo slices for salads, sandwiches and more.

R199

With its unique press chop technology and five super-sharp stainless steel blades you can do so much! Perfect for salsa, guacamole, chutney, sauces, crushing ice, prepping veggies and more!

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MAXWELL & WILLIAMS WHITE BASICS BAMBOO SALSA SET

R167 Designed for serving cheese, olives and other antipasti, the all-in-one set is a convenient and functional way to present them at the table.

TUTTI FRUTTI POPPER – AVOCADO

R151 Love avos? You will love this toy. The Tutti Frutti Popper is air powered and safe for indoor and outdoor play.

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Apparently, we’ve been eating fake guacamole this whole time Buhle Mbonambi I HAVE come to appreciate avocado. Guacamole was my entry to the favoured fruit of the millennial and I have never looked back. I have avocado with everything. Last night, I had a slice of brown bread, bacon and half an avocado with black pepper.

Imagine my shock when I found out that we might have been eating fake guacamole.

Food & Wine reports that some restaurants are using squash instead of avocado, thanks to the high price of the fruit. Apparently, restaurants are using a squash and this makes the “guac” thin and watery.

But because it tastes similar to the real thing, few people have noticed.

However, in Mexico it has become a crisis. It is common for Mexico City’s taquerias to serve fake guacamole in their tacos.

Javier Cabral of La Taco wrote about how that had been happening for some time and how exactly it was done.

“The fake guacamole recipe is nearly identical to your standard taqueria guacamole.

Tomatillos, cilantro (coriander), garlic, jalapeño are still the core ingredients. Instead, the imposter substitutes the green gold for the tender summer variety of Mexican squash usually sautéed in guisado form. The fake guacamole gets its creaminess thanks to the oil used to blister the jalapeño that emulsifies the rest of the ingredients,” Cabral wrote.

There’s even a YouTube video and recipe by Patty Rodriguez that shows how the fake guacamole is made.

With avocado in season in South Africa, it’s best you do it yourself and steer clear of the store-bought condiment because you never know if it’s real or faux.

3 WAYS WITH GUACAMOLE

SPICY CORN AND BLACK BEAN AND CHIPOTLE GUACAMOLE

1

Ingredients 3 large ripe avocados ½ red onion, finely chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 jalapeño, deseeded and chopped (optional) 1 tsp chipotle paste (optional) ½ can sweet corn, drained ½ can black beans, drained and rinsed Juice and zest of 1 lime Pinch of salt and ground black pepper to taste.

Method Peel and roughly chop the avocados, add the remaining ingredients and mix to combine. Serve immediately.

CHUNKY GUACAMOLE

2

Ingredients 2 large ripe avocados 1 large ripe tomato, deseeded and diced ½ red onion, finely chopped 1 small red chilli, finely chopped (optional) 1 tsp coriander, chopped Juice and zest of 1 lemon Method Peel and roughly chop the avocado, mix with the remaining ingredients, serve with a big squeeze of lemon and season with salt and black pepper.

POMEGRANATE AND LIME GUACAMOLE

3

Ingredients 3 ripe avocados 2 limes, juice and zest ¼ cup coriander, chopped 1 jalapeño pepper, deseeded, finely diced (optional) 2 garlic cloves, minced ½ cup pomegranate seeds Method Peel and roughly chop the avocado, mix with the remaining ingredients, reserving half the pomegranate seeds for garnish.