Avocado Mayo

I was rushing around, getting for a wedding yesterday when I realized it was was past one and I hadn't eaten lunch.  Now I'm not the type of person who can get so caught up in what they are doing they forget to eat.  I'm ALWAYS hungry.  I was just procrastinating yesterday, trying to think of what to make for lunch while searching for my left heel and chasing my crazy puppy Stella out of the garden. And with not much in the fridge, it was becoming harder and harder to come up with a lunch game-plan.

Finally I bit the bullet and began searching the fridge to see what I had to work with.  I found two perfectly ripe avocados forgotten at the bottom of the crisper along with some lettuce and 1/2 roasted chicken from last night.  It was not quite a Chopped moment because those are all normal ingredients, however I wanted to make apple-bacon chicken salad and with none of my homemade mayo in site, (or apples and bacon), I quickly had to adapt.  So I decided to make avocado mayo, thinking the avocado would emulsify like an egg.

Man did I strike gold!  This avocado mayo is naturally vegan and I only needed a little bit of olive oil because the rich, fatty avocado flesh whipped up wonderfully.  With a hit of mustard, garlic, lemon, and salt, this avocado mayo is a wonderful replacement for your standard mayo if you are looking for a lighter option or do not eat eggs.  It has lighter and more whipped consistency than mayo, and can easily be used as a healthy dip or creamy pasta sauce.  Thankfully my lunch was saved by this little bowl of green bliss.  If you're an avocado lover, you just have to try avocado mayo!

Avocado Mayo

2 ripe avocados, pitted and flesh scooped out
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (or 1/2 tsp garlic powder)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp spicy brown mustard (or 1/2 tsp mustard powder)
1/2 tsp raw honey or agave, optional
dash cayenne pepper, optional

Directions:
1.  Add the avocado, garlic, lemon juice, honey, salt, pepper, and mustard to the base of a food processor.  Blend until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary.
2.  With the food processor running, slowly add the oil in a steady stream.  Store in an air-tight container in the fridge.*

*This mayo will turn brown after a day or two in the fridge because of the avocado.  It is best made right before eating, or within a few hours.