Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

Salsa for dummies

July20

Making salsa is simple.  I, of course, am going to complicate it with many photos and steps you could skip.  It really is just a few things in the food processor or chopped by hand if you aren’t lazy want it more rustic.  Everything can be adjusted to taste.

Salsa Smiles

dsc00005-12 jalapeno peppers

1 Serrano pepper

5 cloves of garlic (or less if you don’t want to repel everyone around you)

1 lime

2 Tbl sugar

2 tsp salt

2 Tbl red wine vinegar

2 shakes cumin

1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves

1 can diced tomatoes (plain – I buy the no salt variety since I put a lot of salt in the salsa)

5 fresh tomatoes

1 onion (I used sweet yellow, some people like the purple ones)

dsc00009-1Put the peppers, garlic, lime, sugar, salt, vinegar, cumin, and cilantro into the food processor (see first photo).  Chop it fine and pour it into a bowl.

Cut the stem off the top of the tomato and then squeeze it in your hand so that the guts come out.  You are removing the seeds and some of the liquid from inside of the tomato because if you throw the whole tomato in, your salsa will be very watery.  This way you are removing some of the liquid and just using the flesh of the tomato.

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I also drain the liquid off the canned diced tomatoes (these are optional – I think it makes the salsa a little more substantial) and squeeze them in my hand a bit before putting them into the food processor.

dsc00021Cut your onion into quarters, roughly chop the tomatoes after you’ve squeezed them, and put the canned tomatoes into the food processor.  Pulse it until you have it at the consistency you like.

Add the tomato and onion into the first mixture and stir.

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Now you have salsa.  It tastes amazing and will get better every day it is in the frig as the flavors mingle and marry.  Stop reading here if that is sufficient to make you happy.

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If you are still reading then I will assume that you, like my husband, are disturbed by “watery” salsa or salsa with “too much liquid”.  I am not bothered by this but since my husband is, I am working on ways to make it perfect for him. I spooned the salsa into a small strainer to remove some of the liquid.  I didn’t do this with all of the salsa because you need some juice.  I strained about 1/2 and mixed it back in with the un-strained salsa.

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I saved the liquid and threw it in the freezer.  I will use it when I made rice or soup in place of broth or water – it should add some yummy flavor!

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posted under food
7 Comments to

“Salsa for dummies”

  1. On July 20th, 2009 at 11:47 am amy2boys Says:

    Oh – looks good. There is nothing like fresh salsa. Since I’ve moved to the south I’ll even put it on scrambled eggs, which as a yankee would never have occured to me in a million years.

  2. On July 20th, 2009 at 4:19 pm Alea Says:

    I love how you save the unused liquid. That is a great idea! My husband and children like their salsa chunky, so I have just been coarsly chopping up the tomatoes by hand and mixing it in with the other ingredients.

  3. On July 20th, 2009 at 7:25 pm Hadyn Says:

    Um ….
    I still haven’t gotten past the original fact that you make your own salsa.
    Wow.

  4. On July 21st, 2009 at 8:00 am Ansley Says:

    I have to confess– I’m with Hadyn. My salsa “recipe” would start with “turn your cart down the salsa aisle…”

  5. On July 22nd, 2009 at 7:15 am Rhonda Says:

    Oh yummy!

  6. On July 26th, 2009 at 5:34 pm Leisa Hammett Says:

    WAY too cool! Thanks! (I’m a dummie!)

  7. On August 30th, 2017 at 3:50 pm ball Says:

    H? colleagues, pleasant post and pleasant urging commented at this place, I am really enjoying by these.

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