# Help please with non-spicy salsa



## cave76 (May 30, 2013)

I absolutely love Mexican food (and Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian---- you get the picture!) but I've just recently suspected that the spicy food I love may be giving me some  health problems. Not acid indigestion but a problem with the urinary tract. (Sorry for TMI).

I can't abide the thought of not eating Mexican food and in the past, all my life, the hotter the better.

Now I want to give a non-spicy life (Ugh!) a chance.

To my question, finally---- it's easy to cook without adding jalapeno's or such but I love to pour salsa over a taco, chimichanga, or any other dish.

I'm going to try reducing some tomato juice or V8 to make it a bit thicker, if possible,  and add cilantro and other 'not hot' spices. (And please, oh please, don't let it be cilantro that's causing the problem!)

Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated or any other ways to get a salsa that is flavorful but not hot/spicy.
Thank you in advance


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## Andy M. (May 30, 2013)

Go ahead and leave out the hots.  The heat is always a separate ingredient, either chilies, chili oil, etc.  There may be a minor flavor difference but there is no reason why you can't enjoy not hot foods.


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## cave76 (May 30, 2013)

@Andy------ I guess I'll say 'duh'! LOL Of course! I used to make my own salsa with the usual ingredients------ I guess I'll have to start doing that again even though store-bought tomatoes are so yucky and expensive now. I think I'll use canned Romas instead and leave out the chopped jalapenos.
Thank you for your common-sense reply.


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## jennyema (May 30, 2013)

Make it with quality canned tomatoes and just leave out the hot pepper.


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## cave76 (May 30, 2013)

Thank you also, Jenny. I'll get some canned tomatoes today when shopping. I'll try to remember (!) to post my success with it. 

Still dreaming of jalapenos!


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## CharlieD (May 30, 2013)

Chi Chi’s brand salsa makes one that is mild, very mild and it really is not a bad salsa at all. I cannot eat food that is too spicy and this one is really working well for me.


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## cave76 (May 30, 2013)

@Charilie----- I'll look for that brand. I live in a great smallish city with very white bread cuisines but we do have at least one fairly good Mexican grocery. Or maybe Safeway has it. Amazon has it but I'd prefer not to get the giant size first. 
Thanks


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## jennyema (May 30, 2013)

Chi chi's would be found at Safeway not a Spanish market.

If you do make your own consider roasting your garlic, onion and bell pepper in a cast iron skillet for a deeper flavor.


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## jabbur (May 30, 2013)

Hunt's makes a wonderful fire roasted diced tomatoes in a can.  I use them in just about everything that requires a good tomato flavor.  I make a dip we call Oklahoma caviar that I use them in.  They are so good and so easy to use that I find myself using them even when I can get tomatoes from the farmer's market.


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## buckytom (May 30, 2013)

jennyema said:


> Chi chi's would be found at Safeway not a Spanish market.
> 
> If you do make your own consider roasting your garlic, onion and bell pepper in a cast iron skillet for a deeper flavor.



+1. 

but i can't imagine using canned tomatoes unless decent fresh ones are unavailable.

btw, cilantro is known for chelating toxic metals from your body (removing them) which are then excreted in the urine and feces (what's your sign. i'm a feces). 


3 out of 4 doctors here say if you enjoy cilantro, go for it. but you should ask your own pee pee doctor.



jabbur said:


> Hunt's makes a wonderful fire roasted diced tomatoes in a can.  I use them in just about everything that requires a good tomato flavor.  I make a dip we call Oklahoma caviar that I use them in.  They are so good and so easy to use that I find myself using them even when I can get tomatoes from the farmer's market.



i'm a little afraid to ask, but what is oklahoma caviar?


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## Chief Longwind Of The North (May 30, 2013)

Some herbs, spices, and flavors that can help out your salsa:

Cumin
Coriander
Paprika
Lime zest
Mango
Mild Chile Powder
Onion
Garlic
Celery
Carrot

To make these ingredients work together, first, cut the carrot into a small dice, slice the onion and celery, and saute' these in fresh butter over medium heat, just until the carrots are slightly softened.  Add chopped tomato, cilantro, and the remaining ingredients.

Peppers, whether sweet or hot can cause indigestion for some people.  But the ingredients listed above will give you that southwestern flavor, sans peppers.  Oh, and add some black pepper to the mix.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North


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## CraigC (May 31, 2013)

Make a fresh pico de gallo and leave out the spicy chili.


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## cave76 (May 31, 2013)

@ Bucky
"but i can't imagine using canned tomatoes unless decent fresh ones are unavailable."

I can't either, but I haven't had a decent fresh tomato since I stopped growing my own----no matter what price I paid for them. I don't get to a farmers market much so maybe there could be some there.

For 'youngsters' here----- a 'decent' fresh tomato doesn't crunch when you bite into it. Neither does a 'decent' strawberry. (Oops, now I've shown my age!)

@ bucky---- I'll look into your information about cilantro. Thanks.
About your astrological sign------

_Te audire no possum. Musa sapientum fixa est in aure_

All the rest who have taken the time to answer---- many good ideas there and I thank you all.


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## jabbur (May 31, 2013)

> i'm a little afraid to ask, but what is oklahoma caviar?



It's tomatoes (I use 3 cans of the fire roasted diced), 1 onion finely chopped, 2 green peppers finely chopped, a can of black-eyed peas drained and rinsed, a can of white hominy drained and rinsed, and 16 oz of Italian salad dressing.  stir it all up and refrigerate.  We like it with our tortilla chips.


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## jennyema (May 31, 2013)

buckytom said:


> +1.
> 
> but i can't imagine using canned tomatoes unless decent fresh ones are unavailable.
> 
> ...




I have refused to use supermarket tomatoes for a long time now.  They are horrible and IMO would ruin your salsa.

Good quality canned tomatoes are far superior when you can't get real garden tomatoes.

In July I make salsa with my cherries.  In August with my bigger tomatoes.

And I'd also like more detail on that caviar...


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## menumaker (May 31, 2013)

Try chopping some fresh coriander into your salsa and crumble some blue cheese into it as well. Not 'hot' I accept but will give some exciting flavors to your salsa


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## Cerise (May 31, 2013)

cave76 said:


> I absolutely love Mexican food (and Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian---- you get the picture!) but I've just recently suspected that the spicy food I love may be giving me some health problems. Not acid indigestion but a problem with the urinary tract. (Sorry for TMI).
> 
> I can't abide the thought of not eating Mexican food and in the past, all my life, the hotter the better.
> 
> ...


 
Welcome to DC.  First, I would see a doc re the UTI.  It may be totally unrelated to food.

I am not a fan of spicy food either  I can tolerate Ortega green chiles, in small doses.  I usually omit the chiles, and kick up the flavor with lime juice and lime zest and diced red onion.  Instead of tomatoes, you can use strawberries and avocado, watermelon, or any fresh fruit.


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## cave76 (May 31, 2013)

Cerise said:


> Welcome to DC.  First, I would see a doc re the UTI.  It may be totally unrelated to food.



Thanks. I have---- extensively! Not a UTI, definitely.


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## CraigC (May 31, 2013)

menumaker said:


> Try chopping some fresh coriander into your salsa and crumble some blue cheese into it as well. Not 'hot' I accept but will give some exciting flavors to your salsa


 
Fresh corriander = cilantro.


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## Claire (May 31, 2013)

In my opinion, it is often cumin that puts the Mex into Mexican food, and it is not hot.  I cannot imagine cilantro (as others have said, cilantro is the leaf, coriander the seed)(this varies from place to place, I'm talking in the U.S., English English can sometimes be different) causing a problem.  I wonder if it may actually be tomatoes that cause the problem.  In which case .... poor you!  Also tomato seeds can cause intestinal distress for some people, so you can use V8, tomato juice, or seed your own tomatoes.  If you do the latter, use plum tomatoes, they have less seed and more "meat".


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## menumaker (May 31, 2013)

Thanks CraigC
I never knew that.


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## CraigC (May 31, 2013)

menumaker said:


> Thanks CraigC
> I never knew that.


 
In the US, Canada (I believe) and Mexico, fresh is cilantro and the seeds are coriander. It is also called Chinese parsley.


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## cave76 (May 31, 2013)

Years (decades ago actually!) I first discovered cilantro. I'd lived in the Midwest and although my mother was a great cook, pepper was the only spice besides salt that was in the kitchen. I moved to Berkeley CA and WOW! First Mexican food. First cilantro. First avocado. First flauta.

Finally found out that Chinese parsley and cilantro were the same things----- but it was hard explaining 'cilantro' to the Chinese shopkeepers in Chinatown what I wanted! They tried!


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## buckytom (Jun 1, 2013)

cave76 said:


> @ Bucky
> "but i can't imagine using canned tomatoes unless decent fresh ones are unavailable."
> 
> I can't either, but I haven't had a decent fresh tomato since I stopped growing my own----no matter what price I paid for them. I don't get to a farmers market much so maybe there could be some there.
> ...




lol, what, what?

at least i'm not lacking potassium.

i look forward to your continued participation in our little corner of the cyber world.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 1, 2013)

which ear?


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## buckytom (Jun 1, 2013)

whatt? ditch the beer! no wzy!

 i' ve got 2 bananas.


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## cave76 (Jun 1, 2013)

@ bucky 
" i look forward to your continued participation in our little corner of the cyber world"

You might regret that later! lol 
Seriously, I love cooking and eating and talking about cooking and talking about what I ate and what I plan to eat (is the the definition of a gourmand or a glutton?)

I especially like what is provincially called 'ethnic' food here in the U.S. although I don't turn  my nose up at hot dogs and potato salad. So I'll probably be browsing and asking questions all over this site.

@ Princess----- "which ear?" Never thought of that! (grin)


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## PrincessFiona60 (Jun 1, 2013)

cave76 said:


> @ Princess----- "which ear?" Never thought of that! (grin)



I will just talk into the ear that is not occupied by a banana...unless the other is an ear of corn.


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## cave76 (Jun 1, 2013)

PrincessFiona60 said:


> I will just talk into the ear that is not occupied by a banana...unless the other is an ear of corn.



Giggle


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## Whiskadoodle (Jun 2, 2013)

You could take your salsa in a different direction, depending on what your main dish is or what you want to complement--

Pineapple chunks, preferrably fresh, canned works
a tsp or 2 of sugar, optional
vidalia or red onion
avocado diced
juice and zest of one lime
2 tsp to 2 Tbsp or more,  Mint, finely chopped
Mix, chill. serve
Add the avocado just before serving.


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## cave76 (Jun 2, 2013)

@Whisk

Getting so many great ideas! What a site!


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## buckytom (Jun 2, 2013)

how do you do with the spiciness/peppery-ness of fresh radishes?

if you're good with them, i posted a mango salsa with some of the heat coming from the radishes, if you're interested.

i'll have to go look for it.


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## cave76 (Jun 3, 2013)

buckytom said:


> how do you do with the spiciness/peppery-ness of fresh radishes?
> 
> if you're good with them, i posted a mango salsa with some of the heat coming from the radishes, if you're interested.
> 
> i'll have to go look for it.



I seem to do fine with them. 

An update------I've been using myself as a 'study of one' to see if hot spicy foods exacerbate or contribute to my urinary 'problems' (it's complicated) and after eliminating hot spice from my diet I find it's not that. 

*Whew. Am I glad!*

Other dietary causes might contribute and I'll continue to eliminate them one by one in more 'studies'. It may not be dietary at all though.

*But, boy, am I glad it's not chili peppers or other 'heat'. LOL*

Now I'm hoping it's haggis---- for that would be VERY easy to eliminate. 

Thanks for all the help for my 'study'.


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## CharlieD (Jun 3, 2013)

Don't rush with your conclusions. Cetain foods will continue to produce side affects for quite a while, even after you stop eatting them. Just like druggs, you have to give a time to flush it out of your system.


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## 4meandthem (Jun 3, 2013)

I would try dried ground habaneros. You can add alot of heat without using much pepper. See if the capsasin is the problem. My wife has been battling with something similar and she can handle some spicy things and not others. Everyone is different and she is still trying to find out what she can handle. She had to give up coffee until she found out cold brewed coffee works for her. There are some support websites that have pretty good info.


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