The Salsa Recipe You Need

Salsa. The number one condiment in America. I wholeheartedly agree with that. I’ll go so far as to say that I love salsa. But it has to be good salsa. Not any ‘ol jar of liquefied tomatoes and onions. Lame. There are some bad ones out there. Fresh salsa is always the best. Some restaurants serve good salsa (some don't). If a restaurant has good salsa, then they’re OK in my book.

I like making my own, and I usually use a packet of Concord Foods Salsa Seasoning Mix. Just add tomatoes (fresh or canned) and onion. Embellish with some cilantro or other additions if you like. Easy cheesy.

I recently took my homemade salsa to the next level. I have had my eye one the Pioneer Woman’s Restaurant Style Salsa recipe for a while, but I never had all the ingredients on hand. After coming home from the public market with a giant bunch of fresh cilantro, it was time. I can’t get enough cilantro in my life. I know some people can’t stand it (Mom), but there’s just something about the aroma and intensity that heightens a dish. Especially salsa!  

Ree did an outstanding job detailing the recipe here (as always). If you love salsa like I do, you’ll want to make this. It does produce a large batch, which is perfect for sharing, because I usually consume an entire bowl in one sitting. Don’t judge. The only thing I might have added is a little more salt or perhaps another jalapeno. I don’t mind a more of a  kick. Get ready to never look at jar salsa the same again. Once you make this, and see how possible it is, you’ll never want to go back! Undelay! Ariba!

Ingredients:

• 1 can (28 Ounce) Whole Tomatoes With Juice
• 2 cans (10 Ounce) Rotel (diced Tomatoes And Green Chilies)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Onion
• 1 clove Garlic, Minced
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Quartered And Sliced Thin
• 1/4 teaspoon Sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Ground Cumin
• 1/2 cup Cilantro (more To Taste!)
• 1/2 whole Lime Juice

Directions:
Taken from The Pioneer Woman 

Note: this is a very large batch. Recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.
Combine whole tomatoes, Rotel, onion, jalapeno, garlic, sugar, salt, cumin, lime juice, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Pulse until you get the salsa to the consistency you'd like---I do about 10 to 15 pulses. Test seasonings with a tortilla chip and adjust as needed.
Refrigerate salsa for at least an hour. Serve with tortilla chips or cheese nachos.

Talapia Topped with Fresh Salsa

Have some salsa you want to put to good use?
Looking for a way to dress up a boring fish dinner?
Salsa + fish = delish.

These are not the greatest photos, but trust me, this meal is a good one. Anyone have suggestions on photographing fish? Didn't think so. I'll try to make it look prettier next time.

I like to keep a bag of frozen fish fillets, usually talapia, in the freezer. They are individually wrapped, so you can take them out as you need them. Make sure to thaw ahead of time. Or in a pinch, run them under water for a few minutes to quick thaw. I always give the fillets a quick rinse to get rid of any fishy-ness. Pat the fillets dry with a paper towel. You can certainly use fresh fish (even better). Lightly coat the bottom of a baking pan with a little olive oil and swirl it around. Place the fillets into the baking pan, and get both sides oily.

Directions
I like to make a quick fresh salsa with the following ingredients:
1/2 - 1 whole tomato, diced
1/2 onion, diced
2 teaspoons (or more) of extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, diced
salt & pepper to taste
Stir all together in a small bowl

Spread the salsa mixture on the fish (2-4 fillets), and bake uncovered for about 15 minutes (sometimes I leave them in for 20 minutes), or until fish easily flakes with a fork.

This time I topped the fish with fresh salsa that I made using a package mix. It was just as delicious and had some kick to it because it was a hot salsa mix (even though the packet in this photo says mild). In that case, all you need to add is the tomato and onion. The packet contains all of the spices. This recipe is open to interpretation. You could use lemon pepper seasoning if you like. Or add green onions. You could use Mahi Mahi or whatever kind of fish you prefer (maybe not salmon though).

For last nights dinner, I pared it with a cheesy baked potato. The salsa adds a lot of flavor, so rice or a vegetable would go perfect with it.

If you're daring enough to give it a try, let me know what you think! Enjoy.