A Few Salsa Recipes (and a bonus) to enjoy and share with your friends.

I love to cook. I love to share recipes and experiences. Among my most popular dishes is my salsa. Don’t believe me? Ask anyone who’s tried my salsa. Because they are so healthy I decided to share my salsas with everyone. Here we go. Don’t forget to wash the tomatoes.

Basic ingredients of all of them:
Tomatoes
Chiles – either Serrano or Jalapeno (really adventurous people will use the dreaded Habanero)
Onion
Salt
Lime juice – Try orange juice as an exciting substitute
Cilantro to taste

That’s it. Simpler is better.


Basic recipe number one, Pico de Gallo
Three small or two large tomatoes
1/3 of a large onion
2 serrano chiles (or three or four)
salt
cilantro
lime juice of one small lime or keylime

The labor intensive way. Dice all the above and salt to taste.

The easy way. Dice the chile and add all ingredients into a food processor. Churn until all parts are broken up.

Here is a fun video where I show you how to make the Pico de Gallo

Basic recipe number two, Blended salsa

Three small or two large tomatoes
1/3 of a large onion
2 serrano chiles (or three or four)
salt
cilantro

Pop all these ingredients in a blender and puree. It may not hurt to cut them into ¼’s or so beforehand. Oh Baby!!!

Variation number one, GARLIC!!!!
Three small or two large tomatoes
1/3 of a large onion
1 large jalapeno chile or ½ or ¾ to hotness taste
salt
cilantro
juice of one half orange (preferably without seeds)
Three or four garlic cloves

The labor intensive way. Dice all the above and salt to taste.
The easy way. Add all ingredients into a food processor. Churn until all parts are broken up.


Oh the Green!!!

Six to ten small tomatillos (these are those green tomatoes with the leaf wrapped around them)
1/2 of a large onion
2 serrano chiles or three or four
salt
cilantro

Blanche the tomatillos (without the leaves) in boiling water for about five minutes. We don’t want the tomatillos boiled just blanched. Let those babies cool down a while.
Mean time dice up real fine about ¼ of an onion or about ½ cup. And chop just a few sprigs of cilantro. Save these two ingredients for later.
Once your tomatillos have cooled a bit. Toss them in the blender and add 1/3 onion, the chiles, about 1/3 of the water from the pan and a little bit of cilantro. Puree this mixture and be careful for hot exploding blenders.

Add your diced cilantro and onion, salt to taste and let the mixture cool or refrigerate. The diced products give your recipe a little texture and presentation. MMMM GOOD!!!!


Neat little variations:

Roast red chiles on a hot griddle and use recipe one or two.
Blanche your red tomatoes for the blended variety.
Use five to ten red dried chiles for blended salsa for a very potent mixture. Soak the chiles first or let salsa stand for a day before eating.


BONUS The best Guacamole!!!
Two Haas Avocados. There is no substitute!!!!!
Cut your avocados in half with a good chef’s knife. Use the knife to remove those giant pits. (What a waste of space!!) Spoon out the fruit into a medium to large bowl. Sprinkle a tiny bit of salt and the juice of ½ lime onto the avocado. Use a fork to lightly mash the avocado. Never, never, never puree the avocado. Add about three heaping tablespoons of the Pico de Gallo (recipe number one). Stir. Voila!! The perfect guacamole.