I was inspired by a favorite tapas restaurant to make a copycat strawberry habanero guacamole, which is a cool take on traditional 'spicy' guacamole with jalapeño peppers. I'm a bit of a habanero fan...it's a cute little devil of a pepper that is unmistakably hot. In fact, most people say to wear gloves when handling them. Combined with fresh strawberries, their flavor really comes out.

After a bite, it's all spicy, sweet, and sour - I'm not sure that I'm doing it justice - but it's like a fiesta of tastes. It's very summery, the perfect appetizer or party guacamole. I love how guilt-free guacamole can be; it is filled with "good" fats from the avocados as well as lots of fiber and potassium. It's so much better than binging on a bag of chips (although, corn tortilla chips do  go really well with this...). You can also use whole strawberries to dip, instead of chips, for extra sweetness.

To make this bowl, I used one ripe avocado, 3 habanero peppers, 4 cut strawberries, lime zest and juice, orange juice, and some diced red onion. This recipe, which oddly enough, is from

Men's Health

, is also very vegan friendly :)

ciao, xo