Do you have a favorite snack? I have always been a salsa person. In my teens, it was the cooked tomato stuff you buy in a jar with tortilla chips. Now I've branched out. Two or three years ago I fell in love with PC's Black Label Tomatillo Salsa that I bought in Canada. Now that I live in the US, I can actually buy tomatillos and make my own! And I've been experimenting with adding fruit to salsa too. My whole family loves this Pineapple Salsa, and that's saying a lot as Hubby doesn't usually like to mix fruit with savory food.
The great thing about salsa is that it's versatile. You can use it to dip tortilla chips or nachos in (preferably baked), use it with Mexican food like tacos or quesadillas, or use it to add flavor to roasted or grilled meats. It's also very low in calories and fat. These salsas range from only 12-28 calories per serving! So even though they add tons of flavor, you don't need to feel guilty! However, you do have to consider what you're eating with them, as things like tortilla chips can add up very quickly.
Another bonus, they are very easy to make. The pineapple salsa and Tomato Salsa require only a knife, cutting board and bowl to make. And the Roasted Tomatilla Salsa requires only minimal chopping. The roasted ingredients get tossed into a blender or food processor and you're done!
If you're going to make either the pineapple or tomato salsa, I highly recommend making the other one at the same time. Both recipes use almost the same ingredients (one uses pineapple and red bell pepper, the other uses tomato and garlic), so if you just do a little extra chopping, you have 2 different bowls of salsa for some variety.
When you make the roasted tomatillo salsa, you'll definitely want to make sure you roast the tomatillos long enough. You really want the skin to be blackened to let the roasted flavor shine through in the salsa. That's what really makes it taste so good. That slightly smoky flavor really complements grilled meat or fish.
In other news, believe it or not, despite having arrived home from my Washington DC trip only a day ago, I write this as I should be getting packed to go on another trip. This one involves a very, very long - 1700 miles/27 hour+ drive. With an almost 2 year old. Am I totally crazy?? The Peanut and I are driving with my parents and their brand new camping trailer to their cottage in Nova Scotia, where Hubby will fly in to meet us there. I will definitely not have computer access during the drive, but I will keep you posted when I arrive. And I will let you know if road-tripping across country with a toddler is as bad as it sounds.
Trio of Salsas
Ingredients
Tomatillo Salsa
- 1 lb tomatillos about 8 medium
- ¼ cup coarsely chopped onion
- 1 jalapeno pepper stemmed and seeded (see note)
- 1 clove garlic peeled
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- ½ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt to taste
Fresh Pineapple Salsa
- 6 oz peeled cored fresh pineapple cut into ¼" pieces (1 cup)
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- ½ small red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
- ½ jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded and finely chopped (see note)
- 1 ½ tablespoon minced cilantro
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- salt and pepper to taste
Fresh Tomato Salsa
- 2 medium tomatoes cored and finely chopped
- Salt and pepper
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- 2 tablespoon minced cilantro
- ½ jalapeno pepper stemmed, seeded and finely minced (see note)
- 1 ½ teaspoon lime juice
- 1 clove small garlic minced or pressed
Instructions
Tomatillo Salsa
- Move oven rack to top position (about 6" from broiler element) and preheat broiler. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil.
- Toss tomatillos, onion, jalapeno and garlic with olive oil. Spread onto baking sheet. Broil vegetables, shaking pan occasionally, until well charred, 10-12 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to food processor or bowl and add cilantro, lime juice and ¼ teaspoon salt. Process or blend (with immersion blender) until roughly chopped or desired consistency. Season with reserved jalapeno seeds and salt to taste. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Fresh Pineapple Salsa
- Combine pineapple, onion, bell pepper, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice in a small bowl. Season with salt, pepper and reserved jalapeno seeds to taste. Let salsa sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Fresh Tomato Salsa
- Mix tomatoes with ½ teaspoon salt in small colander. Allow to drain for 15 minutes. Transfer tomatoes to a small bowl and toss with onion, cilantro, jalapeno, lime juice and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let sit for at least 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
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