Salsa!

I've been on a salsa kick this week. My mom appeared to be a little concerned, "But didn't you make salsa yesterday?", I told her, "Cool it! There's some salsa coming your way."

I think she was just worried I'd forget to share.

Three salsas. One similar to "Jack's Special" by Garden Fresh, another similar to Manuel's Taco Hut hot sauce, and a jalapeno salsa mimicking one from a market in Lansing. They're super easy to put together, just bust out your robot culinaire (that's a food processor) and let it do all of the work. No robot culinaire? Use a blender! No blender? Use a rock and a hard place! Which...will take some elbow grease.

The texture of most of my salsas is pretty thin, which could be considered more of a "restaurant" style. I just happen to prefer this. If you like chunkier, chop your ingredients rough, and pulse sparingly in the processor. The only sauce here that's supposed to be very thin is "Manuel" salsa, which is more of a taco sauce, for those that have not been blessed by a visit to Manuel's Taco Hut.

Also, please use gloves while chopping your jalapenos. One little pepper might not get you, but do 5 or so, and the spice burns will set in. It is the opposite of fun. The key to controlling heat with jalapenos are the seeds inside. If you want a mild heat, remove the seeds. If you like to set your face on fire, keep 'em in! I seeded most of mine, but that is completely optional.

Fresh Salsa
1 large can whole tomatoes (I use San Marzano), drained, juice reserved
1/2 onion, diced (I used a sweet yellow)
2-3 green onions, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, seeded, minced
2-3 garlic gloves, minced
1 large handful cilantro
Juice of one large lime
Sea Salt
Cumin
Optional: Roasted garlic cloves, added with the onions, jalapenos and garlic.

Pulse onions, jalapenos and garlic 4-5 times in robot culinaire, until very fine. Add drained tomatoes, cilantro and lime juice. Add a pinch or two of ground cumin. Salt is optional, I added just a few shakes. Pulse until tomatoes and cilantro are your desired texture. Some of the reserved tomato juice can be added to make the salsa thinner, I added just a few tablespoons to mine.

Manuel's Hot Sauce


Down in Allen Park, Michigan, there is a super little Mexican restaurant called Manuel's Taco Hut. My whole family is in love with the place; cheesy, greasy, kitschy...it's just great. Their salsas are very thin, and are kept out on the table in maple syrup dispensers. Everyone gets their own little ramekin to pour salsa into, and can make their own mix of mild and hot. My riff on their recipe is my ideal mix between the mild and hot sauces.

1 large can whole tomatoes, drained, juice reserved
1/2 large onion
1 jalapeno, chopped, seeds in
1 can green chiles
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 tablespoons Sriracha
Red pepper seeds
Garlic powder
Salt

Pulse the onion, jalapeno and chiles until ultra fine. Add drained tomatoes and tomato paste, pulse the heck out of it. Add sriracha sauce and some of the tomato juice if it needs to be thinned. Once again, I added just a few shakes of salt, about 6-7 shakes of garlic powder, and about a scant tablespoon of red pepper. The goal is to see the seeds in the sauce.

Jalapeno Salsa
4-5 jalapenos, seeded, chopped
1/2 onion, diced
2-3 green onions, chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2-3 roasted garlic cloves
1 roasted Poblano pepper, skin removed and chopped
1 Anaheim chile, seeded, chopped
A handful of cilantro
1-2 teaspoons sugar or agave syrup
Juice of one lime
A pinch of ground cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

Add everything except salt and pepper to the robot culinaire. Pulse with reckless abandon until a nice, minced consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Honestly, I would have preferred to have kept the seeds in one or two of the jalapenos, but I was scared it would be a face-melting mistake. Next time I will, because this batch came out very mild.

That's all for now! Give making salsa a try, it's more fun than a box of hammers!

Cait