Recipe: Guasacaca - Venezuelan Avocado Sauce
It all begins with an idea.
This incredible tasting sauce pairs nicely with steak, chicken, oven-roasted potatoes and/or your favorite vegetables. This is one of my favorite recipes from Venezuela, where I grew up in the 70’s and spent my summers there in the 80’s and early 90’s.
I had a very diverse background. My mother, an American from Philly married my Palestinian father and moved to Venezuela where I grew up with my three older brothers. Many weekends, our extended family gathered together for delicious Arabic food - rolled grape leaves wrapped in rice and meat, homemade hummus drizzled in olive oil and paprika and yogurt soup. Fresh papaya or watermelon were served for dessert. Nothing was processed or came out of a box.
And for the Venezuelan side of things, we ate arepas (cornmeal flatbreads) and their typical national dish pabellon- white rice, black beans, plantains and flank steak in tomato sofrito. Bringing back family dishes are a way for me to stay in touch with my cultural heritage. I do have to pick and choose today since I am gluten-free and I avoid a lot high-glycemic ingredients like rice. This is why I love this Guasacaca sauce. Avocados offer approximately 20 vitamins, specifically B vitamins, C, E and K. They are full of healthy beneficial fats that support skin health, helps absorb fat-soluble vitamins, plant sterols - think heart health and lutein and zeaxanthin for vision protection. Did you know that it has 6-7 grams of fiber per half fruit? And the cilantro leaves have potent anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, anti fungal and chelating properties (metal detoxification). It’s a little tangy and a different alternative to guacamole. I typically serve this with grilled chicken or steak and I am always being asked for the recipe. Enjoy!
Recipe: Guasaca - Venezuelan Avocado Sauce
Ingredients:
1/4 small to medium onion
1/4 small green pepper
1 ripe avocado
1 small clove of garlic
1 bunch of cilantro leaves (discard the stems)
1/4 c. white vinegar
3/4 cup of olive oil
*Optional - add 2 tsp fresh lemon juice to round out the vinegar
Place all the ingredients in a food processor. Blend. Add sea salt and pepper to taste.