Saturday, April 2, 2011

Peach-Cilantro Salsa



I wasn't so sure about the blend of these ingredients, but I am certainly happy I tried it!

4 Peaches (or nectarines), cubed
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small red onion, chopped.
Fresh lime juice - to taste

Mix all the above!


I brushed chicken with fat-free honey-Dijon, salt & pepper and cooked in broiler for 4 minutes on each side.  (I pounded the chicken to 1/4 inch thick and placed 4-6 inche from the heat source.)  This really was EASY and very tastey.  I couldn't find any fresh peaches so I opted for nectarines.   This recipe was from "5-a-day" the better health cookbook.  I REALLY like this cookbook as it is chuck full of flavorful ideas for fruits and vegetables.


Saturday, March 26, 2011

Corn Salsa



This corn salsa is very FAST.

2 cups corn kernals (3-4 ears of corn)
5 Tblspns chopped fresh cilantro
3 green onions, thinly sliced
3 Tbspns fresh lime juice
1 fresh jalepeno, seeded and minced

Boil water in a pan.  Add the corn kernals and cook for a minute or two.  Drain and let cool.   Add everything else and mix.  Add salt and pepper to taste if desired.  Serving size is between 2 - 3 cups.

I usually serve this over chicken & cheese quesadillas, but it goes well with fish quesadillas too.

This recipe was found in "Williams-Sonoma Complete Seasons Cookbook".  I bought it at a second hand book store for $4.00.  This salsa has become a family favorite.

Saturday, March 19, 2011

Caribbean Salsa



This salsa certainly surprised me!  I thought the combination was certainly a recipe for disaster.  I did learn how to tell if a pineapple is ripe.  First of all, if it is fully green, it will never ripen - it should reflect a golden yellow color.  It should smell sweet, if it has NO scent, it is not ripe.  It should be firm to a gently press and only yield slightly.  I thought if a leaf removed easily it was ripe... not true!   I have never tasted a ripe pineapple before, only tasted from the DOLE can... and how unfortunate as I now love pineapple and can't believe what I have been missing!  Another tip is to turn the pineapple upside down to allow all the juices to run through it (for 20-30 minutes).

The following recipe is from 5 a day - the better health cookbook.  I changed it slightly by using a vidalia onion and used a very mild pepper (above).  The store was out of jalapeno peppers.  My son thought it needed a spicier kick and added medium peppers to it.

2 cups watermelon, seeded and chopped
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1 cup onion, chopped - (I used vidalia)
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
2 oz orange juice (I used fresh squeeze)
1 Tbspn jalapeno peppers, chopped

Simply mix all the ingredients.  Cover and refrigerate for one hour in order for all the flavors to mix and blend.


Enjoy this taste explosion!

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Sweet Apple & Spicy Chile Salsa



We have a wonderful "grocery" store called The Fresh Market which I love!  But a trip to the local Farmer's Market with produce from local farmers (and not so local) is always fun.

The salsa recipe today is sweet & spicy.  The following are the ingredients:


Sweet Apple & Spicy Chile Salsa

1 orange bell pepper, quartered, deseeded and membranes cut out
1 green bell pepper, quartered, deseeded and membranes cut out
1 green apple, quartered, cored and peeled
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1-2 fresh habanero chiles, halved, deseeded and membranes removed  (they are spicy and wear plastic disposable gloves when handling)
4 green onions, finely chopped
1 Tbsp maple syrup
2-3 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 Tbsp chopped fresh mint

Of course, the hot sauce and chile should be to taste - this mixture, to me, is rather spicy.

Preheat the broiler and line the broiler pan with foil. Take the quartered orange and green peppers and cook in the broiler for 10 minutes or until the skins are blistered.   Remove and put the peppers into a plastic bag.  let cool for 10-15 minutes.  The skin should peel away nicely.  Finely chop the "meat".

Grate the apple coarsely and put it into a bowl.  Add the lemon juice and stir well as this will keep the apple from turning brown.  Add the bell peppers.  Finely chop the habanero chili and add to the bowl.  Mix ingredients.

Lightly over and let it sit for 30 minutes - DO NOT refrigerate.   Stir again.


I served this with pork medallions.  I put a dash of white pepper, ground red pepper and salt on the meat (1/2 inch thick - I had the butcher slice them for me) and cooked them in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes on each side.  Removed the pork and added 1/2 cup water and 1/4 cup honey to what was in the pan.  Cooked this over medium heat for about 4 minutes or until it started to thicken.  Returned pork to pan and simmered about 2 minutes, turning once.


Of course, you can also eat these with tortillas.

Tomato Salsa



Salsa

Indigenous Mexican Sauce
Roje, verde, cocida, fresco
(Tomatoes, gooseberry, cooked, uncooked)
Inherited flavor of the Mayans and Aztecs
Colorful, textured, fragrant and spicy
Cilantro, citrus, chili, and corn
Tomatillo, Tequila, and mint
Classic Mexican relish, inspiring others:
Exotic Jamaican, bananas and guavas
Asian peaches, Far East anise
Turkish delight, pomegranate, honey, and figs
Delectable all!  Join me, will you, each Saturday
as I explore this versatile "sauce" for us to
comer y disfrutar!

I was inspired by my trip last week to the farmers market.  I forgot to bring my camera - I was so upset as the beauty just spilled out on the tables even at the end of March!  I didn't ask, but these farmers must have greenhouses or something in which they grow their produce.  My quick "poem" above is not a masterpiece, that's for sure, but I hope it tempted you with checking in next Saturday for my new recipe.  Today's recipe is at the bottom of this post.  Oh, and by the way, "comer y disfrutar" means "Eat and Enjoy".



Tomato Salsa

4 ripe tomatoes, seeded, chopped - (about 8 - 10 oz)
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 red jalapeno chile, seeded, finely chopped (size depends upon you!)
1 or 2 garlic cloves (again, up to you), crushed
peeled cucumber, seeded, finely chopped
honey to taste (1 - 2 tsp)
1 Tbsp cilantro, chopped
dash of lime juice
pepper

Makes about 1 cup (I doubled this recipe and it was gone in two days!)

Prepare all ingredients and add to a bowl. The fresher the ingredients are, of course, the better tasting the dish will be.  Stir well.  Cover and let stand to let the flavors mix.  Do NOT put in the refrigerator, as the flavor will not sufficiently blend.  Eat with tortilla chip

Ingredients before mixing