Ole, Ole: A Lighter Guacamole

No lies, I'm a huge fan of guacamole. Chipotle, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, making my own. And I eat way too much of it, far exceeding one serving on a Sunday afternoon. So when I saw this recipe as a dish to prepare for this weekend's Oscar parties, I'm all for giving it a shot when I have my weekend craving. Try making this version to lighten up your plate; it comes in at 65 calories per serving and only 3 grams of fat.

Ingredients:
1 can (15 to 19 ounces) white cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon (or to taste) lime juice
1 jalapeno chile, seeded
1/2 cup loosely pack cilantro leaves
1/4 cup coarsely chopped sweet onion (try Vidalia or Maui)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 ripe avocado, halved and pitted
2 plum tomatoes
Baked tortilla chips or fresh veggies

To prepare:

• Puree the beans and lime juice in a food processor (using the knife blade attachment) until smooth. Place in a medium-sized serving bowl.
• Add the jalapeno, cilantro, onion and salt to the food processor. Pulse until the mixture is juicy and thick.
• Scoop the avocado from the peel and add to the beans in a bowl. Use a fork to mash the mixture until blended with some chunks remaining.
• Cut the tomatoes in half, squeeze the halves to remove the juice and seeds; coarsely chop the tomatoes and add to the onion mixture. Then add this mixture to the avocado and beans until blended. Stir in more lime juice to taste if you're looking for more zip
• Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate up to one hour.

I'm sold, and I'll let you know how it tastes (minus the tomatoes because I've never like them even after repeated tries) after I make it this weekend. And I'll add a photo too. Posted by Kate