Easy Guacamole That Looks Fancy

Work: 10 minutes

Total: 10 minutes

The key to making it truly effortless is to have everything prepped and sitting on the chopping board ready to be combined with the avocado.

Before Guests Arrive: Roughly chop a small handful of tomatoes (grape tomatoes are fine), about a tablespoon of fresh cilantro, and 2 teaspoons very finely minced red onion. Cut one lime in half. Get two avocados ready, but don't slice them yet.

When Guests Arrive: Pour yourself a glass of Prosecco! Ask your guests' daughter about camp! Then, as casually as possible, add the chopped tomatoes, minced onions, and cilantro to the small, decorative bowl you have waiting on the counter. (Be sure to look up and show genuine interest in her Capture the Flag story.) Cut your avocados in half, scooping the flesh into the bowl with the tomato-onion-cilantro mix. Squeeze in a little lime juice, add a lot of salt, and mash with a fork. Be sure not to over-mash. You want it to be chunky.

Enough to impress about 10 people. (Of course, serve with tortilla chips.)

Per serving: 50 calories, 4g total fat (0.5g sat fat), 101mg sodium, 3g carbs, 0 chol, 1g protein, 2g fiber

Jenny Rosenstrach is the author of Dinner: a Love Story, a book about family meals, which might actually lead you to believe that she's figured out what to make for tonight. Hah!

Send us the story behind your favorite recipe! E-mail us at recipestory@LHJ.com.