Velvety Avocado Dressing

It's no secret that I'm the secretary of the "Obsessed with Avocados" fan club. I love Every. Single. Thing about them. (Well, there is one quality I'm not crazy about: their price in New York in January could be a little more friendly.) But anyway, I can't get enough of avocados' taste, texture, the way the peel practically sheds itself, the one giant pit that gives itself up without a fight. They even have a saucy backstory that's fun to tell at cocktail parties!

If you regularly read either of my blogs, you know that I love avocados in both savory and sweet applications, and they're one of my favorite foods to experiment with. When I can get them, I buy the net bags that go on sale at my local Sam's Club for $3.50, making the price of each avocado an incredibly awesome 70 cents. And then . . . playtime in the kitchen!

It was, in fact, one of these net bags bags that yielded the following recipe. The last avocado in the bag was a bit soft, a little bruised and blotchy when I cut it open. Of course, it was perfectly fine. I could have eaten it straight away, sprinkled with lime juice and kosher salt. But I had salad in mind for dinner, and I was committed to that. Now, aesthetically, a bruised avocado is no one's idea of a good-looker, and if you're feeding the unobsessed, it's worth bearing this in mind. I decided to effect a little camouflage.

Blended into a gorgeous pale green dressing, this is even better as a dip (for pretzels, veggies, fingers) the next day, once the flavors have had a chance to develop. The avocado holds it's own against the more dominant flavors of shallot and garlic; and you can use lemon juice instead of lime if that's what you have on hand. Try this as a sandwich or burger spread too. Oh. Yeah.

Velvety Avocado Dressing

• 1 large Haas avocado
• Juice of 1 lime (about 2 tablespoons)
• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce (red or green, as preferred)

1. Peel, pit, and slice avocado. Place slices in a medium mixing bowl and sprinkle with lime juice. Mash avocado with a fork or the back of a spoon.
2. Add remaining ingredients to mashed avocado and blend using an immersion blender until smooth and creamy. (If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer avocado and remaining ingredients to a blender or food processor and process until smooth.) Chill until ready to serve.

Makes about 11/2 cups
Have some extra avocados ~ or the desire to eat some extra avocados? Check out these recipes:
From Eat Real:
 Avocado Panna Cotta with Mango Gelee
Savory Avocado Salad

From At the Baker's Bench:
Avocado Cake with Lime Browned Butter Icing

From other Foodie Blogs:
Feta Cheese and Avocado Mini-Frittata ~ from Kalyn's Kitchen 
Grilled Fish Tacos with Mango-Avocado Salsa ~ from Andrea's Recipes
Guacamole Hummus ~ from Gimme Some Oven!