What do really good salsa and guacamole have in common? You guessed it: fresh lime. Both of the recipes below have lots of it. That's what makes them so tasty-- of course, I'm a lime fiend. These recipes will be great for Cinco de Mayo!
Salsa Is A Staple
It seems that everyone in California was raised on salsa. I had to learn to like it or I probably would have starved. Recently I made my first Pico de Gallo which is simply chunky form of salsa also called Salsa Fresca. Of course I corralled a bunch of my husband's family to do a taste test of three different recipes of Pico de Gallo. The one below was the favorite, and no one will be surprised to hear it has 4 ingredients. (Garlic salt doesn't count. If you're following my recipes you, already have lots on hand.) Here's what you'll need:
3 cups of chopped tomatoes (About 1 &1/2 lbs) Roma tomatoes are good for Pico de Gallo, but not a must.
1 cup of chopped white onion (approx. 1 medium onion)
1/4 cup of lime juice ( Approx. 2 limes)
2/3 cup of chopped cilantro (approx. 1 large bunch)
Opt. 1 Serrano or Jalapeno peppers
Cut any stems or bottoms off tomatoes, then cut them in quarters. With a food processor and the regular blade, chop the tomatoes very carefully using the pulse (manual) button only until they are in small chunks. After the tomatoes are chopped, put them in a colander to drain the juice.
While tomatoes are draining, chop onion using the food processor and pulse button as well. Then, set onion aside in the lime, so that onions will soak up the lime flavor.
Next, twist the top off the cilantro bunch and use the processor to chop it (keep using the pulse button). You then add all 4 ingredients together. Finally mix in 1 & 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of garlic salt and a few cranks of cracked pepper and let it sit for about 20 min. to mix all the flavors.
*If you want to use peppers chop very finely with veins and seeds (which are super hot) removed. (A hand chopper is great for this.) Add one teaspoon at a time to give your salsa the exact amount of kick you want.
** Cooking is an art; therefore, we need to taste dishes along the way to see if they need more of something (just like the classic French chefs we see in the movies. With a wooden spoon of course:)