Mock Guacamole and Baked Tortilla Chips

Substituting peas for some of the avocado significantly reduces the fat content in this popular dip.
Nonfat sour cream, one of the few nonfat products on the market that actually resembles "the real thing," contributes to the creamy texture.
Use the guacamole as a topping for burritos, tacos, and other Mexican dishes, or as a dip for crudite.

Baked Tortillas Chips

Ingredients:
One 9.5-ounce package corn tortillas (12 count)
Vegetable cooking spray
Salt (optional)

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile, stack the 12 tortillas and cut them into quarters. Spread the tortilla quarters in a single layer on baking sheets, spray with vegetable cooking spray, and sprinkle with the salt.

Bake the chips until they are crisp and slightly golden, about 10 minutes. Transfer cooked chips to a basket lined with paper napkins.

Mock Guacamole

1 cup frozen peas
1 medium ripe avocado
1/4 cup nonfat sour cream
1 can (4.5 ounces) chopped chiles, drained
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or parsley
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Hot red pepper sauce, optional
Cilantro or parsley sprigs for garnish (optional)

Directions:
In a small saucepan, combine the 1 cup frozen peas with 1/4 cup water, cover, and bring to the boil over medium heat. Cook the peas 2 minutes, drain, and rinse them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain again. and add to a food processor.

Roughly chop the flesh of the avocado (see Tips for the best way to remove the flesh for the skin.) In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, combine the chopped avocado with the cooked peas, 1/4 cup sour cream, 1 can chopped chiles, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons parsley or cilantro, and 1 tablespoon lime juice, and process until smooth. Taste the puree and season with salt and pepper, and hot red pepper sauce, if desired.

Scrape the guacamole into a small bowl and place the bowl on a large platter. Garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley sprigs. Arrange the corn chips around the guacamole.

There are several varieties of avocados. The most widely available are the smaller, pebbly-skinned Haas and the larger, smooth-skinned Fuerte. The skin of the Haas turns dark, almost black, when the fruit is ripe, and its flesh gives slightly when pressed. Unripe avocados have little flavor and hard flesh; to speed up the ripening process, place the avocados in a brown paper bag with an apple, and pierce the bag in a few places.

Tips
Here's a quick way to remove the flesh from the avocado: Using a sharp knife cut the fruit in half lengthwise. Twist the halves in opposite directions to loosen and remove them from the pit. Insert the blade of the knife into the pit, twist the knife and lift the pit out, then just scrape the flesh from the shell.
Use the guacamole instead of mayonnaise as a sandwich spread for thinly sliced smoked turkey breast.

Recipe makes four servings.

Nutrition information per serving:
Calories: 258 5
Cholesterol: 0
Fiber: 9g
Sodium: 285mg
Total Fat: 8g
Protein: 8g
Saturated Fat: 1g
Carbohydrates: 43g

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Courtesy of FitnessandFreebies.com
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