SALSAS! SALSAS! SALSAS!
There are two basic kinds of salsa, uncooked and cooked. Of course within those two categories there are multiple variations; mild to fiery hot, fresh chiles to dried chiles, chunky to smooth, green to red, and the beat goes on. Oh yes, we are talking about food, not the dance, although that can also be fiery hot sometimes. Ole!
The salsa recipe pages are for UNCOOKED Salsas, they are naturally healthy, and COOKED Salsas; watch the fats! Use olive oil (EVOO), or canola oil to minimize the saturated fats. For those who need to ease into the fiery hot salsas, the milder salsa recipes in each category are listed first.
UNCOOKED Salsas
Pico De Gallo
Literally, “rooster’s beak” from the Spanish origin, Pico de Gallo is a fresh salad or condiment.
Ingredients:
1-1/2 lbs. plum tomatoes, seeded, chopped
¾ Cup chopped onion
½ Cup chopped fresh cilantro
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
3 Tbsp minced, seeded jalapeno chiles
1 garlic clove, minced
Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill 3-4 hours before serving.
Serve with tortilla chips, as a condiment for meat or cheese dishes. It works very well with grilled salmon or other seafood dishes.
YIELDS ABOUT 3 CUPS
Salsa Cruda
(Hellfire and Damnation Sauce)
This is probably the most commonly used condiment in Mexico and can be found on tables there at any time of the day. This salsa should be made up at the last minute in order to endure the desired crunchiness, which is lost after several hours. It goes as well on your morning eggs as it does on your supper tacos or fajitas.
Ingredients:
1 medium unskinned tomato, finely chopped
1/3 medium onion or 2-3 green onions, finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh cilantro (Culantro, Chinese parsley), chopped
3 Fresnos, chopped (or any green chili pepper, e.g., Serrano)
1/2 Tsp salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)
1/3 cup lime juice (1/3 cup cold water or 1/6 cup water with 1/6 cup vinegar)
Mix together in a bowl. Wait 10-15 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to blend.
YIELDS ABOUT 1 TO 1-1/2 CUPS
EL TORITO’S FRESH SALSA
Ingredients:
3 Serrano Chiles, briefly roasted in broiler
3 Large Tomatoes, cut in fourths
¼ medium yellow Onion, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup Cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Large clove Garlic, peeled and minced
½ tsp Mexican Oregano
1/3 cup water
Salt to taste
Place chiles, tomatoes, onion and half of cilantro in a food processor. Process briefly to chop with on/off pulse. Mixture should still have a chunky texture. Add garlic, spices and water to achieve desired consistency. Add remaining cilantro and mix thoroughly. Refrigerate at least 20 minutes or until needed.
YIELDS ABOUT 2 CUPS
Tom’s Salsa Fresca
Ingredients:
2 Large cans of diced Tomatoes
2 Fresh medium Tomatoes, coarsely chopped
1 small can diced Ortega Chiles
1 medium white or yellow Onion coarsely chopped
2 green onions coarsely chopped
2 Serrano chiles finely chopped
2 Jalapeno chiles finely chopped
3 tbsp fresh Cilantro coarsely chopped
2 tsp Mexican Oregano
1-1/2 tsp Basil
½ tsp ground Coriander
Juice from ½ lemon or 1 lime
Drain tomatoes and reserve liquid.
Combine all the ingredients with the tomatoes in a large bowl. Add reserved liquid as needed to achieve the desired consistency.
YIELDS ABOUT 6 CUPS
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COOKED Salsas
Basic Jalapeno Salsa
(Mild or Hot, it's up to you)
You can make this very mild by substituting sweet, green, bell peppers for the jalapenos or a little hot by seeding and deveining the jalapenos. Let your tastes decide.
Ingredients:
1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3/4 cup chopped jalapenos
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup chopped onion
3 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped fresh tomatoes
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp chopped green olives
Salt (Kosher or sea salt is best)
Heat the oil in a medium sized, non-aluminum, skillet. Add the jalapenos, garlic and onion. Saute until the onion is soft but not browned, 3-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and cook for a few minutes more to give the flavors a chance to blend. Add the salt to taste. Remove from heat and let stand for at least 30 minutes.
Stir well before serving.
YIELDS ABOUT 2 CUPS
Red Ancho Chile Sauce
(Red Sauce for Enchiladas)
Ingredients:
3 dried Ancho Chiles
1 Cup boiling water
1 Medium Onion, finely chopped
1 clove Garlic, minced
2 Cups peeled, seeded, and chopped Tomatoes
3 Tbsp salad oil (Canola or EVOO)
2-3 sprigs epazote or Parsley, chopped
¼ Tsp sugar, optional
1 Cup chicken or beef stock
Salt and pepper to taste
Put the Anchos and the boiling water in a bowl to soak for 1 hour. Remove the seeds and veins; shred the Anchos. Put the chiles and chile water in a blender and reduce to a puree. Add the onion, garlic and tomatoes; blend to a puree.
Heat the oil in a, non-aluminum, heavy skillet, add the puree, and cook 5 minutes over moderate heat, stirring constantly. Add the herbs, sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture into a fairly large saucepan and add the cup of stock (more if needed) to thin the mixture to a souplike consistency. Simmer for 5 minutes. This can be made ahead of time and frozen. Warm the sauce when ready to use.
YIELDS ABOUT 2 CUPS (Makes 12 enchiladas)
SALSA de CHILE ANCHO
Ingredients:
3 Ancho Chiles
2 Tomatillos, husks removed
2 Garlic cloves, peeled
½ Small red onion, diced
2 Tbsp Vegetable oil
¾ Cup water
¼ Tsp salt
Remove stems from dried chiles and discard. Rinse chiles and pat dry with paper towel. Heat oil and fry chiles over medium heat for about 5 minutes, turning frequently to avoid burning. Remove chiles from oil and drain. In the same oil, fry the garlic and tomatillos until lightly browned. In a blender combine water, tomatillos, garlic and crushed, fried chiles. Blend for about 5 seconds. In a non-aluminum skillet, combine blended ingredients with the onion and fry for about 5 minutes.
This sauce also works well for enchiladas, tamales and other meat dishes.
YIELDS ABOUT 2 CUPS
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