Fiesta Guacamole

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Fiesta Guacamole…a healthy snack packed with vegetables and extra protein for fueling muscle recovery after a tough workout! This easy to make appetizer recipe is perfect for parties and Mexican night as well!

FIESTA GUACAMOLE

We try to be as health conscious as possible here. Our family is very active. My husband and I and two of our kids run; my oldest son plays soccer.  I try to be mindful of that when I cook, because what you eat and when you eat it really does matter when it comes to exercise.

Working out can be hard on your muscles. Basically, when you work out, your muscles break down. When you’re finished exercising, eating protein immediately afterwards helps rebuild and repair your muscles, aiding in recovery. 

Because of that, I’m excited to be working with Friendship Dairies on their Fuel Your Fancy campaign. Today I have taken one of our favorite guacamole recipes and turned it into a great post-workout snack with extra protein, which is crucial for the rebuilding and repairing process. 

ADDING EXTRA PROTEIN TO A HEALTHY SNACK

When you think of protein, you probably think of the obvious…meat, fish, and chicken.  But did you also know that milk products are also very rich in high quality proteins? After a long run or speed workout though, you might not want to eat something too heavy.

So today I’m suggesting another protein rich option…cottage cheese! Cottage cheese is quite versatile…it’s The Original Superfood! Consider adding it to smoothies or dips, make a spread using it, or add it to your favorite pasta recipe. The options are endless!  

Plus cottage cheese is a healthy, protein-rich alternative to yogurt and Greek yogurt. Personally, I like a little variety when I’m cooking. For my local readers, if you’re wondering where you can find Friendship Dairies cottage cheese, I picked up mine up at Stop & Shop. 

Avocados are a staple at our house. My kids eat guacamole as an after workout snack on a regular basis, and my daughter makes avocado toast at least a couple times a week.

While avocados are not necessarily considered a high source of protein, one avocado does contain 3 grams of protein. It’s actually one of the highest sources of protein among fruits. My Fiesta Guacamole contains 16.5 grams of protein, 7.5 grams from the 1/4 cup of cottage cheese and 9 grams from the 3 avocados. If you want to bump up the protein, you can easily add another 1/4 cup of cottage cheese, bringing the protein count to 24 grams. Both cottage cheese and avocados contain all of the essential amino acids necessary for a complete protein. The corn in the Fiesta Guacamole provides another 24 grams of protein; however, this protein is incomplete, meaning it is lacking in some of the essential amino acids.  

Two hungry athletes could demolish this Fiesta Guacamole as a snack after practice (and they did)!  But if you are serving it as an appetizer, it will feed 6-8 people. You could probably stretch it even further depending on how many appetizers you are serving. 

I mentioned corn above; my other add-in is a red bell pepper. In the summer, once the farmer’s market opens, I like to add local produce to my guacamole. 

The result is a delicious creamy colorful guacamole, packed with flavor and extra protein for rebuilding muscles.  Whether serving to hungry athletes post-workout or for a party appetizer, it’s guaranteed to be a hit!

 

HOW TO MAKE FIESTA GUACAMOLE

Fiesta Guacamole is also really easy to make…it will only take you about 15 minutes to put together!

To get started, cook your corn (3-4 min in boiling water) while you’re chopping the red onion and jalapeño. Place your chopped red onion and jalapeño in a bowl. Squeeze the juice from one of the limes over the top of the mixture. This will help “mellow” the onion and jalapeño…it takes some of the “bite” out.

When your corn has finished cooking, drain and rinse under cold water. Once it has cooled enough, you can cut the kernels from the corn. 

Cut your avocado in half lengthwise, then cut the halves into quarters. Separate the quarters. It will be easier to remove the pit this way. Chop your avocados (save the pit from one of them), and add it to the bowl, along with the cottage cheese. Squeeze the juice from the other lime into the mixture. Mash together the avocados, cottage cheese, chopped red onion and jalapeño until you have the desired consistency. 

Add your corn kernels, chopped red pepper and cilantro to the mixture. Stir to combine. Add salt to taste. 

How easy was that?!

Just a side note…I added the avocado pit purely for appearance. The pit doesn’t actually keep the guacamole itself from browning; rather, only the area touching the pit will stay green. If you need to store your guacamole for a couple hours, I’d recommend setting aside half of a lime from the recipe, squeezing the juice over the top at the end, and then covering tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic wrap so that it actually touches the guacamole.