[DollyR]

Ok....I had a great fish dish the other night with something called garden fresh salsa. It had baby zucchini, corn, tomatoes, onioins and some other ingrdients. I loved it and want to try to make some different salsas to go with meals when I get home as a way spice up veggies. Any basic ways to making a salsa?

[Glory87]

Sure! Got a food processor?

Chunky salsa (pico de gallo)

4 plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 fresh chile peppers, mild or hot, seeded and finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped red or yellow bell pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon lime juice
salt and pepper, to taste

PREPARATION:
Combine ingredients in a glass or other non-reactive bowl and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.
Makes about 2 cups.


Mango salsa

INGREDIENTS:
1 cup diced fresh mango
1/3 cup roasted red peppers, drained & diced
1/3 cup diced red onion
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded, minced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients and chill. Serve with grilled fish or chicken.
Makes 1 1/2 cups of mango salsa

Tomatilla Salsa

INGREDIENTS:
2 Anaheim chile peppers, roasted, peeled, and chopped
1 pound fresh tomatillos, peeled, stems removed, about 10 to 12
2 fresh Serrano chiles, cut in half
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 medium clove garlic, minced
1/4 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:
Pulse tomatillos in food processor until coarsely chopped. Add peppers and next 3 ingredients; pulse until small dice, but do not over process. Pour into a serving bowl. Stir in the olive oil, lime juice, and salt until well blended.

Pineapple salsa

cup finely chopped fresh pineapple
2 tablespoons finely chopped purple onion
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onion
1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper, optional
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon honey
dash ground red pepper, cayenne or chipotle
2 teaspoons finely minced jalapeno pepper, optional
juice of 1 fresh lime, about 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients; cover and refrigerate for an hour or more to blend flavors. Serve with grilled or broiled fish, chicken. Makes about 1 1/3 cups.

Corn Salsa

2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed
1/3 cup chopped purple onion
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:
Combine all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Remove from refrigerator about 30 minutes before serving. Makes about 3 cups corn salsa.

Zesty Artichoke Salsa Dip

1 14 oz. can artichoke hearts, drained
1 3 oz. can sliced mushrooms
1 4-1/4 oz. can chopped black olives
2 Tbs. minced onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. chopped pimento
1/2 cup canola oil
2 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
2 Tbs. water
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 tsp. celery salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper

PREPARATION:
Place artichoke hearts, mushrooms and pimento in work bowl of food processor. Process just until finely chopped, about 8 pulses, scraping down sides after 4 pulses. Do not overprocess. Place mixture in a non-metal bowl

[sugarlove]

Nothing too specific, really - you just chop away, and season until you're happy with it. You'll typically use ingredients that give you a balance of flavours - almost all salsas use either red or white onion, something acidic like lemon or lime juice, and good seasoning. I always use sea salt, cracked pepper and often cilantro - you could use garlic, chiles, cayenne pepper, basil, etc. It just really depends on what kind of salsa you want to make. I make fresh salsas all the time, and it really is as simple as combining ingredients. It helps to keep everything chopped quite small, and in uniform pieces - the flavours balance better, and it's a little easier to eat.

My staples this summer have been a fresh tomato and cilantro salsa, a corn and black bean, and a corn, basil and tomato salsa that I serve alongside salmon or grilled chicken (the baby zucchini sounds like a great addition!!). The sky is the limit, really!

Oh, and once you make up your salsa, be sure to let it sit for a little while at room temperature before serving - this lets the ingredients harmonize a bit and does a lot to bring everything together.

[phantastica]

I make a fresh salsa, which is really just pico de gallo ... chopped tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, cilantro, onion. I sometimes add other stuff (lime juice, garlic). I also take store-bought salsa and dice up any salsa-like ingredients to add to it.

I dip both baked tortilla chips and veggies in the salsa. I use it on fish, steak, tacos, baked potatoes, burgers, and chicken.

Glory, those recipes look great. I never knew what to use mango or pineapple salsa for before!

[nelie]

My mom makes salsa in the blender but I can't stand it that way...

I personally like making salsa with a molcajete (http://www.mexgrocer.com/9117.html) where you grind the tomatoes, chiles and tomatoes by hand. Although the salsa you are talking about sounds like just tiny veggies chopped together. Glory does have a lot of good ideas. You can use your imagination and see what happens. Also it might be good to use your veggie salsa creation to top seafood as well.

[BreakingFree]

Originally Posted by phantastica

I dip both baked tortilla chips and veggies in the salsa. I use it on fish, steak, tacos, baked potatoes, burgers, and chicken.

Traditional salsa and picante sauce are similar. When I was a poor college student, I would make big batches of pinto beans from scratch (from the dried beans) and eat a bowl mixed w/ Pace Picante Sauce. Yummy, healthy and CHEAP!

[DollyR]

I was thinking a good salsa would also make a nice salad topping in place of dressing? What do you think?

[nelie]

I've done that before Dolly. It is pretty good. Also something I did the other day was use my bean salad as a topping for a salad instead of dressing. It was very good.

[WaterRat]

I frequently use salsa (bottled or my friend's homemade) as salad dressing. Mixed with a little lf sour cream, it's awesome. I esp like it on what I call a faux-taco salad. It's just a greens based salad with tomato, avocado, onion, and warmed up black beans. I add the salsa and sour cream and stir it all together - grosses my DH out - and I'm in heaven. A warm tortilla on the side is good, but not essential.

[trishn222]

I use salsa most of the time on my salads anymore. I also like to put beans on there. It makes a very filling salad.