Easy Peasy Salsa, A Staple

Unfortunately there is no scientific data to back up this statement, but I am confident I have eaten twice my weight in salsa. Either commercially made, store house brand, at a restaurant, or my favorite: homemade. Homemade makes twice the amount for the same cost as the commercial brands. AND IT'S BETTER, WAY BETTER!

Ingredients:

28 oz canned whole tomatoes, drained

1/4 cup cilantro

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 small fresh garlic, chopped (about 2 teaspoons)

2 tablespoons white onion, chopped

1 - 1.5 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon comino

2 tablespoons lime juice

Instructions:

In a blender, add jalapeno, garlic, onion, cilantro, salt, chili powder, comino, and lime juice. Give blender a quick mix, two seconds or so. To blender add two tomatoes and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and well incorporated. Add remaining tomatoes and pulse until desired consistency. Taste for salt and lime juice. Add more if needed. Pour into container with lid and shake vigorously for 5 seconds. Chill. Enjoy!

Modifications Made:

Dried cilantro can be used. Adjust amounts accordingly. Let salsa to rest for at least 30 minutes to allow dried cilantro to rehydrate. Shake salsa again before serving is using dried cilantro.

Taste test jalapeno. If too hot, add less. If too mild, add inner seeds. If still to mild, add small serrano pepper.

Don't add extra garlic as it will cause the salsa to become bitter.

White onion can be substituted with yellow onion but it will cause the salsa to be sweeter. Do not use sweet yellow or red onions.

Lime juice is key to the salsa. Add in blender until lime juice can just be tasted. As the salsa rests, the lime juice melds losing its pungency.

Scaled for Likeness: Great

Modesty aside, I have not made this for any person who enjoys salsa who does not love this recipe. It is so good, it literally can be eaten on a spoon. Taste testing can be very tricky round here. In a nice cold refrigerator, salsa will last three to four days when stored in an airtight container. Not that it will ever last that long! It is good on chips, on enchiladas, on tacos, and of course straight from a spoon.

Papas a La Mexicana (Ranchera)

It is a crying shame that there are six hens and not a egg in sight. What am I supposed to do with homemade ranchero sauce? Thankfully with a few quick searches of the internet a recipe from my hometown newspaper was discovered: Papas Ranchera . Not once in the thirty years I lived in my hometown did I ever eat at a local food joint serving papas rancheras. No time like the present to remedy this cultural dish. Because this recipe is hidden behind a paywall (grrr...) I have included it here for you: Servings: 4-6 Ingredients: 1 pound potatoes, diced 1/4 cup vegetable oil 1/2 large onion 1 1/2 medium tomatoes 3 jalapenos 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup juice from canned tomatoes Instructions: Fry potatoes in vegetable oil until lightly browned (about 4-6 minutes). Saute onions, tomatoes, jalapenos until soft. Add garlic powder and salt. Add tomato juice until vegetables are covered (may need to add water). Bring to a boil and then add po...

Better Than Campbell's Old Fashion Vegetable Soup

Went to the store with the hopes of gathering fresh produce for soup. With more than 45 people in line for two packages of any meat product and the produce section containing only avocado, orange, and most randomly, strawberries, I settled upon canned soup. Well not canned soup since that section was still void of food, too. Instead soup made from canned goods as the canned vegetable section had been mostly restocked. Soups like this 15 Minute Vegetable Soup are ideal in dire food situations such as current times. Modifications Made: Plain petite diced tomatoes omitted, frozen carrots instead of canned, green beans and corn undrained, peas omitted (gross, nasty little pods), one cup celery, three cups diced potatoes, one can tomato sauce, two beef and two pollo de tomate bouillon cubes, six cups water. Once onions were softened, carrots/celery/potatoes/juice of green beans and corn, sauce, bouillon cubes, water were added and allowed to simmer until carrots almos...

Sour Cream & Chive Scalloped Potatoes

Can't believe the Month of the Potato is over. There are so many more potato recipes saved. Guess I will have to work them into another month. Last week's scalloped potatoes were one of the best new recipes during the month of potatoes. With today being the last day in the Month of Potatoes, I decided to go out with a bang by cooking another batch of scalloped potatoes but this time sour cream and chive. The Best Scalloped Potatoes , or so they said. Modifications Made: Recipe was reduced by half. Mayo was omitted and one entire package of chives were chopped and added to sauce before pouring onto layers. Scaled for Likability: Good Betty Crocker Sour Cream and Chive Box Scalloped Potatoes were the standard for this recipe. These were a family favorite for years but have long since been discounted. Bummer. Trying to replicate this seemed easy enough. Alas, it was not. These had a nice texture but were too oily from the cheese ...

Eating Waffles

Search This Blog