# Share a good salsa recipe?



## Django! (May 8, 2007)

Hello!

I'm a big salsa fan, but I've finally grown sick of the canned variety, and simply refuse to pay 5$+ for the fresh packages that I can find at the grocery store.  So, I've decided that I should just go ahead and start making my own.

If possible, I'd like a few recipes for several different styles, with nothing over the "medium" heat, unless you have just an awesome combination, then I think I could attempt to handle the heat.  As far as variety, I like tons of different styles, from typical verde to more tropical ones with mango and pineapple and such.

My favorite though?  A standard roja, with a fine puree, but still with a few chunks here and there.  Think of a light Pico de Gallo with a thin, but not watery sauce.  I hope I'm making sense.

If not, then feel free to share your own with me.  I'd like to make some ASAP.

I have a blender and a food processor, but really no way of smoking or grilling anything, so raw is the best unless you can pull an Alton Brown and provide instructions on how to build something.

Thanks in advance!


----------



## kadesma (May 8, 2007)

Django,
you can check out this thread here on Dc..Have not gone back to look through it, but, I'm sure you will find something that might help you out.

http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f19/homemade-salsas-25393.html?highlight=salsa+recipes

kadesma


----------



## StirBlue (May 8, 2007)

We certainly have a great thread for salsa.  The way a Spanish lady down in Texas makes salsa is simply chopping tomatoes, jalapeno, and an onion.  She then put it in a blender and processed it.  The ingredients on the above thread give the variations for making various salsa blends.  Her salsa was extremely hot and I am glad to have some alternatives.  I only want small fresh amounts for a particular meal so I could use these recipes to get different salsa for many different menus.


----------



## yankeefaninseattle (May 8, 2007)

Take your basic veggies in the fridge, celery, tomatoes, peppers, radishes (believe it or not), some lemon or lime juice to taste and whatever herbs you may have in your garden, or local store. Chop in fine dice. Add salt & pepper to taste, refrigerate overnite if you can stand it, let warm to room temp, and you have a great salsa. Oh, don't forget the garlic and green onions/leeks/shallots/red onions.
Trust me, something as simple as that can be your starting point to add pineapple, or mango, or even strawberries if you go for the sweet & sour idea.
B.


----------



## cjs (May 9, 2007)

Here's our favorite - after years of 'practicing' 

DEFINITIVE SALSA

1/4 cup white or yellow onion
1 pound Roma tomatoes -- diced
3 green onions -- sliced
4 cloves garlic -- minced
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
4 Serrano peppers -- minced (or to taste)
1/2 to 1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

Place yellow or white onion in strainer, rinse w/hot water & drain.
Thoroughly combine all ingred. in a mixing bowl.

Add a little more sugar if tomatoes are acidic, but make sure the salsa does not taste of sugar.

Chill in frig for at least 30 min. before serving.
-----

One idea for you, should you want to roast the peppers before adding - I'm assuming you do have a stove? If gas, roast the peppers over the gas flame until completely charred, let rest in a plastic bag for about 10 min. Remove from bag, rinse most (not all) the charred skin off and clean the pepper.

if you have an electric stove, use the broiler and watch carefully.
Roasted peppers make such a difference in dishes!


----------



## BBQ Mikey (May 10, 2007)

Mikeys Salsa

Vine Ripe Tomatoes (depending on size, id say like 3 average ones)
2-4 tablespoons chopped/diced Spanish Onion
2-3 tablespoons chopped/diced red onion
2 cloves minced garlic
chopped cilantro or squeezable cilantro (yes it exists), chopped fresh preferred
2 tbs. vinegar 2 tbs. garlic salt (to help preserve)
1 jalepeno pepper (chopped, toss the seeds in for extra spice)
1 tbs. lime/lemon juice to spice er up
3 green onions (discard most of long green stalks)
1-3 dashes franks hot sauce or tabasco (adds a kick, consistancy to it i enjoy, without some hot sauce it seems empty to me)
1 small red pepper, chopped/diced
1 tbs. pepper

mix well

refrigerate for at least 5 hours, preferably a whole day (shake it if you can) so flavors "mingle" or "gel" seriously its an underrated practice.

my dad grills the tomatos and garlic, then removed the skin, im normally too lazy to do this, but man, does it make a difference, his salsa beats mine.


----------



## jennerose (May 16, 2007)

*Salsa*

Here is a link to a recipe for Summer Salsa

Salsa can be mabe with lamb,fish also.it taste good to eat.Easy to prepare.


----------



## CharlieD (May 16, 2007)

BBQ Mikey said:
			
		

> Mikeys Salsa
> 
> 
> 2-4 tablespoons chopped/diced Spanish Onion
> ...


 
what is Spanish onion? I know the red one.


----------



## Michael in FtW (May 17, 2007)

jennerose said:
			
		

> Salsa can be mabe with lamb,fish also.it taste good to eat.Easy to prepare.


 
No - salsa is a condiment or a sauce - it can be used in the preparation or serving of lamb, fish, etc. - but it is not made "from" lamb, fish, etc.


----------



## Roxy (Nov 3, 2007)

I posted this sometime ago..it is really good:  


Salsa:

6 lbs. Roma (Plum) tomatoes
1/4 lb. Roma (Plum) tomatoes, chopped-I used 6 tomatoes
3 bunches of garlic-not individual cloves
1/4 cup real lemon juice-2 lemons
1-1/2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
 Green onions-Alot of them
12 fresh jalapeno peppers

Use your food processor with the "S" blade to chop up the following.  Put them in seperate bowls in the refrigerator when you get done doing each one.

Chop the 6 Roma Plum tomatoes by hand.  Put in the refrigerator.

Chop using the food processor:

Green onions
3 whole bunches of garlic

Take 12 fresh jalapenos and cut off the stems.  Take a knife and cut down the middle and remove the seeds.

Chop the jalapenos in the food processor.  

Squeeze the 2 lemons to make lemon juice.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil.  Briefly put in the 6 lbs. of tomatoes.  Keep the tomatoes in the pot just until the tomatoe skins start to loosen and set color.  Drain the tomatoes and put them in the food processor and cursh them using the "S" blade.  

Using the same pot as you used to boil the tomatoes in, mix the 6 chopped tomatoes that you chopped by hand, the 6 lbs. crushed tomatoes, juice from 2 lemons, 1-1/2 tablespoons salt, 1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper, chopped green onions, chopped jalapeno peppers, chopped garlic and 1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin.  Bring this to a boil and continue boilng until the vegetables are soft and mixture has reached desired consistency.  Remove from heat, put in container and refrigerate.


----------



## kitchenelf (Nov 4, 2007)

CharlieD said:


> what is Spanish onion? I know the red one.



Spanish and red are the same creature.


----------



## buckytom (Nov 5, 2007)

elfie, i've always known spanish onions as large red *or *yellow onions, having a milder, sweeter taste than regular onions.

not as sweet as vidalias, and not as sharp as regular onions. somewhere in between. and they are usually quite large.


django, here is a mango salsa recipe that i posted a while back: http://www.discusscooking.com/forums/f19/bucky-s-mango-salsa-21970.html

i've gotten a coupla good reviews on it.

as for regular ol' salsa, i don't skin my tomatoes. i just dice them by hand, being sure to slice the skin into tiny bits. if the pieces of tomato are too large, the skin rolls up into little spikes, and is unpleasent to eat. but, by not putting them in boiling water to skin them, you retain the completely fresh flavor of the tomato. 
in order to keep the salsa from being too watery, i slice the tomatoes in half, core it and cut out any white parts, and gently squeeze out some of the seeds and mucillageny. then they're maniacally diced.

i've been making a lot of regular salsa lately, using: 
5 cups finely diced tomatoes
2 1/2 cups finely diced green peppers (bell and cubanelle)
2 1/2 cups finely diced red onion
1/4 cup finely diced jalapenos 
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 lime, juice and zest
2 tbsps of chopped, fresh cilantro
salt and pepper

except for the jalapenos, the rest of the peppers are cut in half, core/seeds/pith removed, cut into thin strips, then across into small bits. the jalapenos are just sliced into strips (after chopping off the stem), including pith and seeds, then across into bits. this adds a good level of heat. you can always remove the seeds and pith if you prefer it less hot.

i'm going to make a new salsa tomorrow, using a slightly under-ripe pineapple, zucchini, tomatoes, yellow onions, jalapenos, garlic, cilantro, and lime.
i'll tweak it as it goes, and if successful, will post my pineapple salsa soon.
i'm hoping the relatively bland zucchini will pick up the flavors of the salsa, as well as add texture.


----------



## Mel! (Nov 5, 2007)

*Mango Salsa*

2 tbs finely minced red onion
1 Mango
2 tbs Lime or Lemon juice
1 garlic clove
Half tsp Salt
Optional: 2 Tbs minced fresh Cilantro, Cayenne to taste

Combine all the ingredients and chill.


----------



## TATTRAT (Nov 5, 2007)

Well, I do not have the measured ingredients, but I like this. Use your eye and personal taste.

Diced Green Apple
Cucumber
Cilantro
Red Onion
Lime Zest
Honey
S+P
A Little paprika
A Little Oil
A hint of madras Curry Powder.

Goes great with chips, pork, seafood.


----------



## GB (Nov 5, 2007)

kitchenelf said:


> Spanish and red are the same creature.



This is what I have always known as a Spanish onion. Like Bucky said, the ones I know are yellow and somewhat sweet.

I did not know they could also be red. I am happy to say that I don't have to learn anything new today because I got my quota of one new thing in bright and early.


----------



## buckytom (Nov 6, 2007)

gb, i've only seen onions labelled "red spanish" once or twice. actually, most red onions i've found were large, round, and sweet, so i wonder if they classify as spanish?


----------



## Jeff G. (Nov 6, 2007)

I pretty much make the same as Buckytoms here, but add 1/2 can black beans as they are.  Mash up the other 1/2 can and stir that in along with some Mango Chutney.  Kind of a black bean/mango salsa...




buckytom said:


> elfie, i've always known spanish onions as large red *or *yellow onions, having a milder, sweeter taste than regular onions.
> 
> not as sweet as vidalias, and not as sharp as regular onions. somewhere in between. and they are usually quite large.
> 
> ...


----------



## jkath (Nov 6, 2007)

Can't remember if I posted this one or not, but here is the salsa dh & I devised a while back:

Our House Salsa

6 roma tomatoes, diced
3/4 c. green onions, sliced
4½ cloves garlic, minced
1 c. cilantro, chopped 
1½ jalepeños, seeded & diced
3 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 Tbsp. Tapatio sauce (actually, I prefer Marie Sharp's but can't find it anymore)
½ sm. can tomato paste
Salt to taste

Mix all ingreds in a glass mixing bowl. Refrigerate overnight.


----------



## Mel! (Nov 7, 2007)

I have just made a bean dip.
I whizzed up freshly cooked white beans(the flavours blend better if u make the dip while the beans are still warm), fresh garlic, oregano, yogurt, red and black peppercorns, salt.
I would also have added the following if I had them in the house.
Lemon Juice
Sugar or honey
Tomatos
Green onions
Cucumber
Fresh herbs

Mel


----------



## buckytom (Nov 7, 2007)

jkath said:


> Can't remember if I posted this one or not, but here is the salsa dh & I devised a while back:
> 
> Our House Salsa
> 
> ...


----------



## heavyG (Nov 8, 2007)

So many great variations! In the end one for every taste and household, this is another one of those scenarios where there is no "one right answer".

G.


----------

