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tomato salsa
Even though I’m from Texas, I’ve been relying on store-bought salsas all my life. And though they aren’t as exciting as homemade, they were always “good enough”.
That is, until this past December when Dom and I went to Texas for three weeks. My morning sickness had just disappeared and I was thrilled to be able to eat at all those Mexican/Tex-Mex restaurants. We must have eaten out at least four times a week (sometimes twice on the same day!). And while it would be stretching the truth to say I got my fill of Tex-Mex, I was mighty pleased with being able to satisfy that long-pent-up craving.
Then we returned to New England, the land of hard-to-find Mexican food.
There’s one good Mexican restaurant in Salem, Cilantro, and it’s very authentic Mexican, not Tex-Mex, and it’s also high-end pricey, good for special treats, not good for getting a quick fix. The other one (which shall remain nameless) makes enchiladas with flour tortillas and cubes of breast meat and serves a salsa that is indistinguishable from tomato puree. ‘Nuff said.
The jar of our favorite store brand salsa (Green Mountain Gringo, for those who want to know) was just not as exciting after three weeks of feasting on all those various homemade salsas (every Mexican restaurant worth it’s salt makes its own salsa fresh daily).
Thus began the quest for the perfect salsa. And after weeks of experimenting we came up with our own recipe which suits us just fine. It’s a little different every time I make it, which means it’s never boring. And it’s quick and easy and less expensive than any pre-made salsa in a jar.
One batch usually lasts about a week at the rate we eat it, but it will last less avid salsa fans for quite a bit longer.
Eat with chips, serve as a condiment with Mexican food, use to liven up your scrambled eggs or steak on the grill, the possibilities are virtually endless.
Ingredients:
1 can (28 oz.) diced tomatos
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1-1 1/2 cups chopped cilantro
1-2 diced chili peppers (serrano or jalapeno)
1/2 tsp ground cumin
juice of one lime
2 tbs olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in food processor. Pulse a few times until all is finely chopped and of even consistency. Don’t overprocess it into tomato sauce! There should still be identifiable bits and pieces of tomato and cilantro and onion in it, all small enough to fit on a chip.
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