Dairy-free Creamy Avocado Dressing and Dip

There's this little restaurant in Pearland, Texas called Gringo's TexMex that I have been totally addicted to since they opened in 1993.  This little restaurant grew into a bigger restaurant. They were constantly expanding their original building, even knocked it down and rebuilt a massive one, and eventually added eight more locations.  I believe their popularity comes from their delicious green sauce.  It's, well, it's really good. Words cannot explain the yumminess.  It's why one consumes four baskets of hot, crispy chips and goes through six or seven refills of the sauce bowl, and it's why I usually ask that they bring it in a cup with a straw.  It's my favorite, y'all.

Unfortunately, it contains dairy.  That's what makes it so creamy.  But, hey, no biggie, I can whip up my own Paleo friendly green sauce.  (But, really, if I'm at their restaurant, I'm totally treating myself to their sauce and the stomach ache that may follow. It's worth it.)

This recipe is just a base. You could add more or less of something, toss in jalapenos or add salsa. Make it your own!

Creamy Avocado Dressing and Dip

• 2 small avocados, peeled and core removed. 
• 1 & 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk* (the creamier kind in the can is best) 
• a handful of cilantro (I love cilantro, so I throw in two handfuls, stems too)
• 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt (depends on how much salt you like).
• 1/4 cup chopped green chilis or chopped tomatillos
• 1 heaping teaspoon or two minced garlic (You could sprinkle in garlic powder instead. I buy minced garlic in a jar) 
• Cayenne pepper, optional, however much you like.

Throw in the blender. Blend. Enjoy! 

*Note- to make it more fluid, add in more coconut milk or even chicken broth.  

(Don't you love how the sign above says self-control?  There's no self-control happening when this stuff is on the table.)

I actually like mine a bit spicy, so I add in all sorts of other seasonings, depending on what I'm making.  You may also want to add in a few squeezes of lemon so the color stays vibrant.  We use this drizzled over fajita salads, heaped into tacos, as vegetable dip, on sandwiches, and you could even serve it as a soup (mm, with crumbled bacon on top???) or freeze it into popsicles. Because, you know, I like strange stuff like that.  Bacon avocado popsicle probably only sounds appealing to me. (See what I did there? Added bacon to a popsicle? Yes. Yes.)