NOC’s Guacamole Recipe for Your Work-From-Home Lunches

This is NOC’s guacamole recipe for your work-from-home lunches.

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way most of us live, work and travel: a few months ago, how would Hongkongers have ever imagined working from home, cooking our own meals all day, everyday and ordering most of our daily necessities online?

We know – WFH can both be a blessing and a curse. When you are busy juggling Zoom calls, WhatsApp messages and many tasks on your to-do list, it’s hard to make time and whip up healthy, delicious meals from scratch. This is why we took a sneak peek into our Head Chef Patrick’s recipe book and decided to share with you our specially curated, tried and trusted guac recipe.

Why guacamole?

First of all, we love avocado: not only is it delicious, it is also a powerhouse of nutrients and minerals that are beneficial for our bodies and minds: to name a few, its monounsaturated fatty acids improve heart health, its amino acids promote muscle recovery, and its magnesium content stabilises our mood.

Out of the many ways to eat avocado, guacamole is one of our team’s favourites, because of its versatility: you can use it as one of your breakfast sandwich fillings, eat it as a nacho dip and even toss your dinner salad in it. For health-conscious busy bees out there, you can also make a big batch over the weekend, chill it in vacuum-sealed packaging for up to 5 days and enjoy fresh, green guac over the week.

Ingredients

2 avocados
¼ of a red onion
A few stalks of coriander
1 tsp of broad bean chilli sauce
3 tsp of lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Tips for picking the right avocados

The secret to making the perfect guac is to use ripe avocados that are just the right amount of ripeness. To check whether an avocado is ripe, wrap your palm around it and give it a gentle squeeze. Try not to use your fingers, as this may bruise the avocado.

If the avocado is firm and does not yield to firm, gentle pressure, it is unripe and not yet ready to be eaten. If you plan to make your guac in 3-4 days, this is the perfect avocado to buy: store it at room temperature or place it in a brown bag with an apple or a banana to speed up the ripening process.

If the avocado yields to pressure and feels slightly soft, it is ripe and ready to be made into guac: to make sure it doesn’t over-ripen, consume within 1-2 days. Make sure there aren’t any mushy spots on the fruit.

Last but not least, look out for and avoid avocados that are mushy to the touch, as this suggests that they may be overripe and add an unpleasant, bitter taste to your guac.

Preparation

Step 1
Finely chop the red onion and coriander stalks.

Step 2
Pit and peel the avocados.

Step 3
Put the avocado, chopped red onion, coriander and broad bean chilli sauce into a large bowl. Mash the mixture with a potato masher or a fork.

Step 4
Add lemon juice into your guacamole and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with whatever you are having for lunch today, and dig in!

Post your efforts on Instagram and tag @noccoffeeco for your chance to win a few cans of cold brew coffee from us.