It seems that people who are avocado fans are really avocado fans!  Now, they are readily available for a very decent price like $1.00 each or even less on sale. It wasn’t so long ago, depending on the part of the country you were from, that avocados may have been a sometimes treat or just semi attainable. I grew up in the mid west, my only experience with avocados was in guacamole, now a definite favorite, even though it took a while to appreciate. Health officials are promoting avocados are one of the healthiest sources of monounsaturated fat. I like them because with a little boost of lime juice and salt, they are great in salads, with a grilled steak or chicken or just by themselves. Feel free to experiment with this quick preparation method, for example, you can use garlic salt in place of regular salt, or your favorite vinaigrette.

The easiest way to tell if an avocado is ripe is to press gently on the skin, if it is soft and indents slightly, they are ready to go. Typically, it takes about 3-4 days to ripen once they are purchased. To slice or dice, cut in half lengthwise, twist the halves apart. Place the half containing the pit face up on a cutting board. Keeping your fingers out of the way, whack the pit with the blade of the knife and twist the knife to lift out the pit. Bang the pit on a cutting board and it will release from the knife. (This is great if you are frustrated!) Then, gently slice or dice the avocado in the skin being careful not to cut through the skin. Scoop slices out with a serving spoon.

2  avocados, sliced or diced
1  tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/2  teaspoon salt (I use kosher, it is my favorite)

I like to toss all of this together and allow to sit for about 5 minutes and serve. To save even more time, cut your lime in wedges and squeeze over avocado and sprinkle with salt. Enjoy!