Salsa means sauce in Spanish, and its origins can be traced to the Incas, Mayans, and Aztecs.
Along with ketchup, salsa has become one of America's favorite condiments.
Salsa isn't just for Mexican food anymore. People are using salsa with everything from macaroni and cheese to baked potatoes. But unlike ketchup, which contains a lot of sugar and empty calories, salsa is very healthy. This recipe is even healthier than canned versions because it is made with fresh ingredients, which retain many of their natural vitamins because they haven't been cooked or processed.
If you have a garden this recipe is perfect - the only ingredients you'll have to purchase are tomato paste, lemon juice, and salt.
Salsa can also be frozen for future use. Simply place in a freezer bag and lay flat in freezer. Freeze batches of salsa in order to have fresh salsa on hand all year long.
Ingredients
- 6-8 large tomatoes
- 6-8 jalapeno peppers (seeded and deveined) If you like your salsa hot, leave some jalapeno pepper seeds in the mix. The more seeds you add to the mixture, the hotter the salsa.
- 1 cup chopped red onion (yellow onion is okay if you are out of red onion, but red onion is sweeter than yellow)
- 1 large green bell pepper
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 5-6 large cloves of garlic, or 6-7 tsps of canned garlic if fresh is not on hand
- 1/2 cup chopped parsley, or 1/4 cup dried parsley
- 1/4 cup (3 ounces) tomato paste
- salt to taste
Chop tomatoes, jalapeno peppers, bell pepper and garlic. Add to large mixing bowl with the rest of the ingredients. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. This recipe make 6-8 cups of salsa.
If you prefer a finer salsa, you can puree salsa ingredients in a food processor. You can also thicken salsa by adding extra tomato paste, but this will also make the salsa sweeter. If the salsa is sweeter than you like, simply add a combination of more onion and jalapeno peppers.
Serve as a side compliment with your favorite Mexican dishes. Use salsa along with guacamole on top of nachos or shrimp quesadillas. Served with tortilla chips, salsa also makes a great snack. Salsa is also particularly nice paired with Ranch dressing on a salad. Simply pour on Ranch dressing, then add a teaspoon or two of salsa on top of the Ranch. Delicious!
Salsa is only as limited as your imagination. Try different pairings and combinations of foods with salsa. Use it to spice up meat, or put it on top of an omelette or eggs for an extra kick.
Sources Cited:
Buzzle.com
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