Annie makes a wonderful canned salsa. When conditions are right ( like there are fresh tomatoes and veggies available) I like to make this sort of salsa cruda.
3 or 4 beautiful ripe tomatoes diced very lightly salted ( about 1/2 tsp kosher salt added) and drained for about half an hour, should have about 1 1/2 cups of tomatoes after draining.
While the tomatoes are draining, chop 4 or 5 green onions, tops too, 1 jalapeno...seeded and if you are a wimp about hot remove the ribs too, and chop a small handful of fresh cilantro.
When the tomatoes have drained, mix all together and add the juice of one juicy lime, and....this is what makes it a "sort of" salsa cruda...I add about 1/2 teaspoonful of ground roasted mild red chili peppers. I like the roasted flavor that adds.
Test for seasonings....you might want to add some hot sauce....or more red pepper....or another tomato if it's too hot.
I often find garden tomatoes too sweet and add a bit of red wine vinegar.
Off season, I will drain a can of good quality tomatoes, rough chop in the food processor and proceed as above (without salting and draining further) but because of the citric acid added to canned tomatoes, I often find they need some sugar.
Mmmmm...almost time for garden tomatoes!
Linda C

To make salsa verde, you substitute tomatillos for regular tomatoes. I only make raw salsa, or salsa fresca, but it is necessary to boil the tomatillos for about 1-2 minutes to make them easier to peel. I remove the dry husks before boiling them. To make one batch, I generally use at least 4-5 tomatillos, 2-3 jalapenos or Serrano chilies, 2 tbsp minced onion (or green onion), 1 garlic clove (optional, but makes the salsa safer), 1/4 cup lime juice, 1 tsp salt, and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro. I put everything into a small food processor or blender and puree it, as I like for it to be smooth.

Lars

John, my salsa recipe is all over GardenWeb. It took me several years to get right. Actually, it took me several years of bribing my Extension Service friend with salsa to get it tested and have them declare it was safe to can.

It's not a raw/fresh salsa, though, it's a cooked salsa. It can be made hotter or milder, depending on your taste, and I added toamto paste because I like it thick and my girls liked it sweeter.

Here's the recipe, the one my girls say is going to make me rich. I dunno about that, but I know it can be frozen if you don't want to can it.

ANNIE�S SALSA

8 cups tomatoes, peeled, chopped and drained
2 1/2 cups chopped onion
1 1/2 cups chopped green pepper
3 - 5 chopped jalapenos or to taste
6 cloves minced garlic
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp pepper
1/8 cup canning salt
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/3 cup sugar
1 cup vinegar
16 oz. tomato sauce
16 oz tomato paste

Mix all ingredients, bring to a boil, boil 10 minutes. Pour into hot jars, process Process 15 minutes for pints in a hot water bath.

You may increase the amount of hot peppers if you want more heat, but reduce the green pepper or onion by the same amount to retain the acidity of the recipe and keep it safe to can. You don�t have to use jalapenos, you can use any hot pepper you have on hand. I like habaneros but they are VERY hot. Be careful.

The tomato sauce and paste are for consistency only, I like a salsa so thick it sits on my chip, you can leave it out but it is "runnier" without it.

If you think it's too sweet, the sugar can be omitted and lemon or lime juice can be used in place of the vinegar, as they are more acidic. If you plan to freeze the stuff instead of canning it, the vinegar can be reduced or left out entirely. I tried leaving it out but it doesn't taste right without it, and I always use cider vinegar.

Some other people have used 6 cups of peaches and 2 cups of tomato, or half and half tomatoes/peaches and said it was a good variation.

I've also gotten a ot of questions on "chopped and drained" tomatoes. I usually peel the tomatoes (you con't have to but I don't like the texture of the peel), cut them in half and scoop out the goo and seeds with my thumb. I'm not fastidious about removing them all, just enough to get some of the liquid out. Then I chop up the remining tomato and toss it into the pan, I'll cut a large half into 8, a small one into 4 or 6.

You can add chipotles for part of the peppers, you can omit the cilantro. Let's see, anything else you can do to this? I must say again, if you are going to can it, you cannot increase the amount of vegetables/fruit and you cannot decrease the acidity. If you are going to freeze it or eat ir frsh, change anything you like.

Have fun! I also have a cranberry salsa, but it's for canning too.

Annie

Here's a link for a very good salsa recipe...

Here is a link that might be useful: Salsa Recipe

I second Pioneer Woman's salsa. I haven't found another recipe that I like better. I like to use the Muir Glen fire roasted canned tomatoes with chipotle or green chili in it instead of the Rotel. Between that and a whole jalapeno, the salsa is VERY spicy.

Annie, I've been meaning to ask... I can't stand bell peppers. Do you think they can be omitted or would they need a substitute? I wouldn't be canning it. Thanks!

I like it super simple. Garlic whirred around in the food processor and mixed with chopped tomatoes, salt, and something hot. It's really more than the sum of its parts. I usually find raw garlic really offensive, but I like it in salsa.

When I use tomatillos, I like to roast them or cook them in a pan so they get some color on the outside and cook all the way through. (Though this wouldn't conform well to your 'pieces of raw things' criterion). I think raw tomatillos taste like poison, but many people disagree.

"---It would be great to also get some pointers toward interesting, unusual dishes to make with salsa. ---"

I have made a salsa pizza.

It was pretty good.

dcarch

For eating with chips or as a side, I go with a fresh version like Linda's.

I do used 'cooked' salsas (I'm with chi83 - green peppers are for other recipes) for one of my emergency dinners: dump a pound or two of stew beef in the pressure cooker, pop open a jar of salsa (usually the roasted garlic from Trader Joe's), pour over and mix. I might add a little water, swishing out the extra bits from the jar. Half an hour later I have dinner with rice, beans, tortillas.

It doesn't get much easier. You can adjust the heat by adding more or less minced chilies. Try a chili that is hotter than a jalapeno.

My recipe is pretty standard. Another one of those recipes I've been making for 30 years.

In the summer, tomato season I hand cut everything.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salsa Fresca
============
Fresh or canned tomatoes, peeled and chopped (If I use canned tomatoes I drain them well first)
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 jalapeno chile, seeded finely chopped
Fresh lime juice
1 garlic clove finely minced
Salt
Cilantro
. In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and chile. Add
fresh lime juice, cilantro and salt to taste. Mix well and let sauce
stand for 2 hours. Serve at room temperature.

Makes two cups

Options:

Roast 3 or 4 large tomatoes on the grill to char the skins. Put the
tomatoes, garlic, onion, jalapeno pepper and cilantro into the food
processor or a blender and pulse. Season with salt and a squeeze of
fresh lime juice.

Home Cookin Chapter: Recipes From Thibeault's Table

Salsa Verde
===========
2 to 4 Jalapeno chiles
1 pound fresh or canned tomatillos
Cilantro to taste
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
Fresh lime
Salt
. Remove papery husks from fresh tomatillos. If using fresh tomatillos,
place in a medium saucepan. Add cold water to cover. Bring to a boil;
drain. If using canned tomatillos, drain. Place chiles, tomatillos, and
garlic in blender or processor. Blend until finely ground. Pour into
a bowl and add the chopped onion and cilantro.

Season with salt and fresh squeezed lime.

I wrote my recipe too fast, and I noticed that I put the wrong cooking time for the tomatillos - I boil them for 5-10 minutes instead of just two. On occasion, I will roast them over an open flame or bake them for 5-10 minutes. I'm not really fond of the roasted flavor, however.

Several ingredients I never put into salsa: vinegar, sugar, black pepper, and cumin. I will sometimes add Mexican oregano, however, but it is not necessary. I have found commercial canned versions of salsa that I like and keep on hand for emergencies. The best is Herdez (made in Mexico), although it now has come copycat competition. If you buy a canned or bottled salsa, look for one that does NOT have vinegar - you will never find vinegar in salsa in Mexico nor in most places in Texas, but then fresh salsa is what is made there, as a rule. Vinegar shows up in most bottled salsas, and I'm not sure how it ever got there, but it definitely changes the flavor.

If you want to can salsa, then that is a different story and would have different ingredients from salsa fresca.

Lars

I love salsa, but HATE cilantro. I guess I'm not alone as over 3300 people have joined the I hate cilantro site. It even makes me feel sick to smell it and I certainly can't eat it. I can leave it out at home but finding a Mexican place that doesn't have their food loaded with that taste is getting harder and harder to find.

Here is a link that might be useful: I Hate Cilantro

Thanks!

I just finished making four small test batches of salsa fresca.

One, supervised by my son, is smoking hot. Roma tomatoes, red onion, yellow bell peppers, some sort of mildly hot pepper, jalape�o, garlic, a bit of corn (cut off the cob and microwaved), lime juice, siriachi chili sauce, cayenne, red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper. He like spicy.

Another is milder, no cayenne or red pepper or siriachi, a bit of vinegar, lemon juice instead of lime.

A third is milder yet, with a bit of balsamic vinegar.

The last and largest batch is a plain base, meant for doctoring up when we decide which of the first three we like.

They're in the fridge, mellowing and blending.

I refused to buy my son any chips for his salsa feed. We're on a diet. Instead, I'm going to slice, oil and toast a baguette and introduce him to a sort of bizarre bruschetta.

He's the instigator of all this. A friend named Hector made him a batch of muy spicy salsa, and he wants this dish to be a regular item at home. ''But it has to be like Hector's salsa''. Well, that was a challenge I couldn't refuse.

What do you mean you didn't buy him chips for his salsa? Now that is just plain mean. LOL!

I thought you were the one on the diet. Is the whole family on the same diet?

Ann

Let's see.

I am on a 1200 cal/day diet with (theoretically) workouts on floor, rings, and weights.

SWMBO and dearest daughter are just starting a lemon cleanse, a liquid diet that you stay on for a few days to a couple of weeks. Then they will do some version of my diet, or so they claim.

Son is on no diet - being a 12 y/o skinny boy, he laughs at all this. Until he has no chips. Then life's hardships weigh heavy.

LOL, John, he's skinny, give him the chips!

Chi, if you aren't going to can the stuff, you can add in or leave out anything you want. It's only the waterbath canning that causes such an issue with acidity and vegetables. And truthfully, if you just leave out the peppers and keep everything else the same, you could still can it, fewer low acid veggies to content with. Or replace them with peaches. Or corn, if you aren't going to can.

Annie

Hi John!

I received a timely email this morning from Whole Foods featuring salsa. Lots of good recipes & ideas for use other than chips/dip. The fresh cherry salsa with salmon sounds really good & would easily fit into your 1,200 calories/day. Anyway, fun to browse through. Watermelon is one of my favorite summer treats...we make watermelon salsa a lot...check out Whole Foods' recipe.

/tricia

Here is a link that might be useful: Whole Foods Salsa Suggestions

Thanks - some things I will definitely be trying there.

My initial salsa efforts are okay - the smoking hot batch is very popular with son (''gee, it is almost as good as Hector's''). Turns out he talked SWMBO into some chips - need to work on the whole unified parental front thing. The other batches lack a certain complexity but are a reasonable start.

Plus salsa has minimal calories, and my tomato plants are doing very nicely - I think there will be a lot of salsa fresca around here this summer. Hector, beware!

Sometimes wives have to overrule husbands when they are wrong. Sorry John, but a Mexican or Tex Mex salsa just calls out for chips. I don't know how old you son is but there is no reason for him to suffer just because you are on a diet.

I can't wait until local tomatoes are available. I didn't plant any this year because our summer was so late that tomatoes wouldn't have a chance.

Ann

John, I think it's great that you're trying to get your family to eat healthier. I don't consider chips to have any health value whatsoever and I think it's nice that the whole family is cutting them out, or attempting to anyway. :) Being skinny isn't equal to being healthy and good eating habits should start young. I don't see anything wrong with not having chips in the house and your son certainly isn't suffering, lol. I wish my mom had been more conscious of junk food when I was a kid.

Maybe as a compromise you could get some whole grain tortillas and make some baked chips out of them. That way, the whole family could have some while receiving more nutrition than the fried white flour counterparts. I do that with sprouted grain tortillas sometimes when I want some guacamole. They're good!

Thank goodness there are so many great recipes!!! You might find something that will interest you at the National Center for Home Food Preservation (see link below). Lots of interesting recipes. -Grainlady

Here is a link that might be useful: How do I can salsa....

Agree with Chi on this one!

I don't really care for Tomatillos, so here is a Green Tomato version that is really good, and safe for canning.

SALSA VERDE
7 Cups chopped, cored, green Tomatoes
5 to 10 Jalapeno Peppers, seeded and finely chopped
2 Cups finely chopped Red Onions
4 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped
1/4 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Lime Juice
1/2 Cup loosely packed finely chopped Cilantro
2 Teaspoon ground Cumin, more to taste
2 Teaspoon dried Oregano
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
In a large stainless steel saucepan, combine tomatoes, peppers, onions, garlic and lime juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in cilantro, cumin, oregano, salt, sugar and black pepper. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Remove from heat. Ladle hot salsa into hot jars, leaving 1/2 inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot salsa. Process both sizes in a BWB for 20 minutes.
Makes about six 8-oz jars or 3 pint jars

Steve

Tadpole's Salsa

28.8 oz can whole tomatoes
6 oz. can pickled jalapenos, seeded (or about 6 large)
1 or 2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp. lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Puree garlic in food processor until minced. Follow with the remainder of the ingredients and process until fairly smooth. That's it!!!

Tadpole added..."Make the recipe above and try it before you decide to improve on it with onion, cilantro etc...The only extra I add is about 1/2 tsp celery salt. The kids and their friends devour this and it's a giant hit with the teachers at school."

***

Besides chips, tacos, etc., we like salsa on eggs or quiche. Some T&T recipes:

Slow-Cooked Stuffed Peppers

From: Taste of Home

Ingredients

* 4 medium sweet red peppers
* 1 can (15 ounces) black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded pepper Jack cheese
* 3/4 cup salsa
* 1 small onion, chopped
* 1/2 cup frozen corn
* 1/3 cup uncooked converted long grain rice
* 1-1/4 teaspoons chili powder
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
* Reduced-fat sour cream, optional

Directions

* Cut tops off peppers and remove seeds; set aside. In a large bowl, combine the beans, cheese, salsa, onion, corn, rice, chili powder and cumin; spoon into peppers. Place in a 5-qt. slow cooker coated with cooking spray.
* Cover and cook on low for 3-4 hours or until peppers are tender and filling is heated through. Serve with sour cream if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

***

Mexican Chicken

Ingredients

6 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
1 (16 ounce) jar salsa
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons chili powder
3 cloves crushed garlic
2 (15 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (205 degrees C).
Arrange the chicken pieces in a 3 quart casserole dish or a 9x13 inch baking dish. Combine the salsa, red bell pepper, cumin, lemon juice, chili powder and garlic. Pour the mixture over the chicken. Pour the black beans on top and cover. Bake in the preheated oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Serve with rice if desired.

***

Quick and Yummy Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup salsa
1 tsp. chili powder

Preheat broiler.

Mix mayo, salsa and chili powder. Stir in chicken to coat. Broil 5 minutes on each side. (If you do these in the
Foreman grill they only take about 5 minutes.)

***

Tortellini Salsa Soup

28 oz chicken broth
32 oz mild salsa
9 oz package fresh cheese tortellini
2 cups fresh spinach leaves torn
16 oz can of kidney beans drained
1 cup fresh mushrooms sliced

Topping: Parmesan cheese and tortilla chips

Heat chicken broth in 4 qt soup/stew pan. Add cheese tortellini and bring to a boil. Add mushrooms and let simmer for 4 minutes. Add salsa and let simmer 4 more minutes. Stir in kidney beans and spinach and simmer for 2 minutes. Top each bowl with crushed tortilla chips and Parmesan cheese.

I really like Pico de Gallo - don't have a recipe for it though, but it is related to cut up salsa so you might find uses for it similar. I will use it to mix in and cook rice with it, pour it over fish and bake in the oven, use on a sandwhich with just lettuce or sometimes bacon and/or mozarella added, and use over grilled meat (most often chicken breast).

I will use it too in lots of other cases where you'd be adding things, over a salad (I will use salsa for dressing on a Taco Salad), in a baked potato, etc.

angelaid, Elery likes salsa on eggs too, and he likes Huevos Rancheros and he likes to take a boiled egg, cut it in half, fill the middle with salsa and feed the yolk to the dogs.

Salsa is pretty healthy and low in calories. Tortilla chips are not, which I think strikes a nice balance, LOL.

Annie

This is a great thread John, thanks for posting it! Lots of ideas here. I LOVE salsa, but then I love anything almost with tomatoes. I eat almost exclusively cooked salsas, either store bought canned ones or my own recipe. Last year I made about four different types of "salsa" for canning, including one that was more or less a mixed pepper relish, (that one is great on all kinds of things), peach salsa, a "fiery" one and a basic one with roma tomatoes. I really liked the basic one so this year I hope to make a bunch more of it. I found a source where I can buy romas by the bushel. I also love fresh salsa, but rarely would have time to make it and would probably not be able to eat it up fast enough to keep it from spoiling. I have enough trouble when fresh toms are in season with making boatloads of tomato salads that I have to eat up. But this thread has lots of great ideas for using salsa as a condiment. Many of them I'm already doing, but some new ones I can't wait to try. BF loves fajitas, so that's one of my uses for it. I make huevos rancheros a lot, although BF isn't that crazy about them, and I use it in my chili.

As for chips, I love them so much, but they are an easy way to over consume a bunch of calories. However, the baked ones are somewhat better. When I'm flush, I buy the "Guiltless Gourmet" ones but I think Tostitos brand has a baked version and even my regional brand. I also have to watch the salt with those chips. I like the idea of making my own but I know I would never do it, lol!

Make your own....make or buy corn or whole wheat tortillas....cut into wedges, spray lightly with olive oil cooking spray and bake at 325 until crisp....about 8 to 10 minutes.
Salt....or not....as your concience allows!

Lpink beat me to it. Guiltless Gourmet!
Delicious and way less fat/calories.
It's not really the corn chip that's so bad, it's all the fat they cook it in. Easy to make your own from plain corn tortillas. Wedge, spray with a "healthier" oil like olive or canola, add salt as you wish and bake.
I have learned that I also like celery, snow peas, zucchini, cucumber dipped in salsa.

Other uses:
Whiz some in the FP for a quick enchilada sauce. Salsa Verde makes a nice Wet Green Burrito Sauce.
Add to rice and browned ground beef/onion mix for a super quick spanish rice meal.
Mix with refried beans and cheese for Bean Dip (yeah, you're gonna need chips..........or veggies).
Poach chicken, pork or shrimp in salsa and serve over rice.
Salsa, chicken stock and shrimp make a Mexican Cioppino...sort of thing, soup stuff. :)

Layer corn tortillas, green salsa, cheese for a Chile Rellanos casserole.

Deanna

Well, I have consumed approximately 1 1/2 quarts of salsa since starting this thread. The stuff eats like vacuum, I mean it has essentially zero calories. Counting the calories expended in making it - all hand-dicing, mind - and digesting it, maybe literally zero net calories?

I now need to make more for my son, and will try some of the peach-y and watermelon-ized versions.

After my detour into BIOHAZARD pulled pork, see other stomach-turning thread, I will be ready for some more healthy veg.

Here's a darned good recipe from Consumer Reports. Easy and fresh!
Salsa

1 clove garlic, finely chopped
2-4 whole jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, finely chopped
4 small tomatillos, chopped (2 Cups)
6 sm. Plum tomatoes, diced (two and a half Cups)
1 sm onion, finely diced (about one-half of a Cup)
2 green bell peppers, finely diced (about 2 C)
2 T parsley, coarsely chopped
2 T cilantro, coarsely chopped
2 T fresh squeezed lime juice

Put garlic and jalapeno peppers in a food processor and chop finely.

Add tomatillos and chop again

Remove garlic, jalapeno, tomatillo mixture and combine with remaining chopped ingredients
OPT: add cumin

Smiles,
Sooz

Baguette instead of tortilla chips, not a big sacrifice, lol......
The baguette is probably less fat than the chips, but calorie wise, I'm not so sure.

It's all in the quantities, I guess; 1200 calories a day will make you melt away, I've been keeping close tabs of my calorie intake lately and 1200 does not go a long way, drats. Halfway through dinner, I'm usually past that mark.

You've all inspired me to try and make salsa.

You're right about salsa John, very low fat and a GREAT way to jazz up other low fat items since it is high flavor! You can probably get fresh ripe mangoes, which is the real deal version of peach salsa. I have a mango phobia since slicing my hand really bad trying to peel one once 20 years ago! Of course I was a mere child at the time! :)