If you want guacamole, Trader Joe's makes it easy.  I'll show you a quick "homemade" version I like, but the options don't end there.  There are several ready made varieties such as Avocado's Number Guacamole and many Trader Joe's stores carry handy guacamole kits (a produce container containing two avocados, an onion, a jalapeno, a garlic clove, a shallot, and a tomato).  Or you can make your own guacamole from scratch using the bags aplenty of ripe avocados and any additions from fresh lime to chopped cilantro to sea salt to diced tomato.  We have two huge avocado trees in our backyard, and we've made endless variations.  With delicious, creamy avocados, it's hard to mess up, so don't get tied down by feeling you can't stray from a particular recipe or formula.

An easy way to make guacamole in minutes, without much prep work, is to add salsa to mashed avocados.  Salsa usually has some combination of tomatoes, jalapenos, onion, cilantro, salt - all the things you might want to add to guacamole but without the chopping and mincing. So pick your favorite salsa and stir some in.  More heat?  Pick a spicier salsa.  One of our readers, Trista D., suggested making guacamole by adding a few spoonfuls of refrigerated Pico de Gallo, salt, lemon and a clove of garlic.  Brilliant!  When I was sitting at a restaurant in San Antonio last month, watching them make guacamole table-side in quaint molcajetes (ok, so they were plastic but the ambience was there...), I thought that there simply isn't just one way to make guacamole.  There they were putting freshly squeezed orange juice in theirs - another option still. 

Serve guacamole with tortilla chips,with pita chips, with baby carrots or cucumber spears, on quesadillas and tacos, or on any sandwich or wrap. 

Instant Homemade Guacamole

2 ripe avocados
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 Tbsp Chunky Salsa or your favorite salsa
I tsp finely chopped cilantro or parsley, or 1 cube frozen Chopped Cilantro (optional)

1.    In a small bowl, mash avocado.  Stir in lime juice.  
2.    Add salsa and cilantro, stirring until just combined. Do not overstir.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Serves 4