Avocado Lime Vinaigrette

A dressing for your salad or dip for your veggies that is healthy?  Yep.  Good luck finding a vinaigrette in the grocery story that doesn't contain gluten, dairy, egg, soy, or sugar!  Not to mention, this is so quick and easy! The store is full of creamy and nutritious avocados right now just begging for someone to take them home. Avocados give this vinaigrette a silky richness  without adding the first bit of dairy.  I'm pretty confident that you may soon have a new favorite dressing at your house with the creamy avocado, spicy bite of the jalapenos, the bright Southwestern flavor of the cilantro and irresistible sparkle of fresh lime juice.  

Avocados are packed full of healthy fats, fiber, and vitamin K.  They also help you absorb lycopene and beta-carotene - two key antioxidants.  So adding avocado to your food acts as a nutrient booster, helping you soak up more fat-soluble nutrients from your food.  How wonderful is that?!  They also provide nearly 20 essential nutrients, including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-vitamins and folic acid.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1 jalapeno pepper
• 1 medium/large avocado
• 1/3 cup cilantro
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 5 Tbsp water
• kosher salt and black pepper to taste

** The hard thing about putting quantities on these types of ingredients is that mother nature tends to enjoy variety in sizes.  Your avocado, jalapeno, etc may not be the same size as the ones I used.  So feel free to adjust your proportions to suit your tastes.

 

Step by Step -
Blend the lime juice and the rough chopped (and seeded for less heat) jalapeno in a blender for about 30 seconds.  

1 jalapeno, rough chopped.  Seeded or not - the heat is up to you!

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

Blend for about 30 seconds

Add the avocado and rough chopped cilantro.

1 large avocado

1/3 cup rough chopped cilantro

Drizzle in olive oil and water.  Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

1 Tbsp olive oil (or canola oil)

5 Tbsp water (this may vary according to how thick you want it)

 Then kosher salt and black pepper to taste.

This is pretty addicting on tortilla chips.  Just sayin'!  ... and also great on the Creamy Work-Week Chicken Enchiladas!! (find the recipe posted by scrolling along the right side of the page)

... and IF you had the notion to mix some sour cream with this.... my oh my.. I can't be responsible.

Written Directions:
Blend the lime juice and the rough chopped (and seeded for less heat) jalapeno in a blender for about 30 seconds.  Add the avocado and rough chopped cilantro.  Drizzle in olive oil and water.  Blend until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste.

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