All posts tagged recipe

You know that delicious, thin, flavorful salsa that they serve in good Mexican restaurants?  I love that.  I can’t eat in Mexican restaurants because they have corn and soy in everything, and it just can’t be avoided.  Sadly.  But there’s nothing wrong with the salsa…I just don’t ever get any.  Then I thought, why not make my own?

Two years ago I was searching for a perfect salsa recipe for canning, but I had the wrong thing in mind.  Instead of thinking of this delicious Mexican salsa that I love, I was thinking of typical jarred salsa.  I looked up some recipes on the internet, ones that people said were popular.  I tried them out. I was very unimpressed.  I should know by now that most of the time…other peoples’ recipes don’t quite work out for me.  Not that there’s anything wrong with them, I just apparently have unique tastes.

This year I wanted to can salsa again, and I’d just had a little bit of that Mexican salsa (served with a quesadilla at a local organic restaurant, if you’re curious) and it reminded me that that was what I wanted to go for.  So, I set into my kitchen with 54 lbs. of tomatoes and decided to use some of them to make a small batch of salsa.  If it was just “okay” I’d have a few pints to eat up through the year and that would be it.  If it was great, I’d make more batches.  It’s pretty safe to say I’ll be making more.

Ingredients:

• 4 quarts tomato puree (about 8 – 10 lbs. of tomatoes)
• 6 – 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 – 3 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp. sea salt (I used my Real Salt)
• 1/4 c. minced onion
• 1 – 3 tbsp. minced jalapeno
• Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Start with fresh tomatoes.  A friend picked some up for me at a local farmer’s market.  I rinsed them off (they’re organic) and then quartered them, like this.

Stick them in a blender.  Keep going until the blender is full.

Now, blend on low.  You want it to mostly puree…but with some small chunks left in it.  This is the easiest way I know to get it to the proper texture.  Pour the puree into a 4-quart soup pot.

Turn this on medium-high and let it come to a boil.  It will get all foamy and bubbly, like this.

This is a normal phase the tomatoes go through while cooking down.  Let it keep boiling, until it becomes clear and like thick tomato juice.

Add your garlic.  I minced mine up very, very small.

Then, add your onion.  I am using only a tiny bit because I mostly want the garlic flavor to come through.

Add your sea salt.  You may add a bit more to taste in the final stages, but this amount seems to work well.

Add the cilantro.  I started with an amount that was around 2 tbsp. and I chopped very finely.  You don’t want big green leaves in your salsa.  You can start with this and add a bit more at a time until you get it the way you want.  The cilantro flavor will become more pronounced as the salsa cooks, so don’t add too much all at once.

Add your jalepeno.  Mince it up very small and try not to touch any part of it with your hands.  Keep your hand on the outside of the pepper and slice it thinly, then mince without touching.  This is so you do not get any capsacin on your hands, then your mouth, nose, or eyes.  That will hurt.  And washing your hands will not completely remove it.  Avoid touching it if at all possible.

Some of you may not like spicy salsa.  I get that.  Add a small amount of jalapeno, about a tbsp. anyway.  The tiny amount will not add much spiciness, but it will add a nice depth of flavor.  If you like your salsa really spicy, add as much as you like, or even try a spicier pepper.  I just want an obvious kick, but nothing too hot.  About 2 tbsp. was enough for me.  Remember that the salsa will get spicier as it cooks and processes.

Add your lime juice.

Now, let it cook down for a good hour, on low.  It needs to blend flavors and all that good stuff.  Then, scoop a tiny amount into a bowl (this cools it off so it will not burn you) and taste with a small spoon or a chip, if you prefer.  Add a bit more salt, lime juice, cilantro, etc. as desired.

When the salsa is done, use a ladle to scoop it into clean pint jars.  Add a lid and ring.  Place your finished jars into your canning pot.

Fill with water, and process for 20 – 25 minutes.

Then your salsa is done!  Allow it to cool before putting it away.  This should make 5 – 6 pints, depending on how much you let it cook down.  I like to keep mine a bit on the thinner side.

**This post has been entered in Frugal Days and Sustainable Ways, Real Food Wednesday, Wild Crafting Wednesday.**

What’s your favorite salsa?

For the first time in weeks, I didn’t have a recipe planned, prepared, and photographed in advance for today’s post.  I had been taking pictures of interesting recipes as I created them for awhile, and saving them up.  But then I ran out!

So I asked my Facebook fans what type of recipe they’d like to see.  The overwhelming majority said: “Something quick and easy.”  Apparently a whole bunch of people have nights when they forget to thaw meat or plan anything until five o’clock rolls around, and then everyone gets hungry and they need to feed the family now.

Not that I’d have any idea what that’s like….

Tuesday night I sent the kids off to the playground with my husband.  It was an absolutely gorgeous evening — sunny and in the mid-70s with a cool breeze.  They had boundless energy, as usual, and were raring to go.  And it gave me a good hour to go into the kitchen and create, time, and make a quick meal.  Obviously we can say this isn’t real-world circumstances (ha) and it might take you a bit longer than it took me.  You know, if you have little ones yelling at you or pulling on your pants or pounding on each other.  Again, not that I’d have any idea what that’s like.

Anyway, this can get on the table in roughly 30 minutes, maybe a bit longer in the “real world” and it’s perfectly healthy.  I served it with the 1/2 a cantaloupe I had in my fridge.

Ingredients:

• 8 tbsp. butter
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 4 c. chicken stock
• 4 – 5 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped*
• 1 lb. broccoli florets, chopped
• 2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• Sea salt to taste — try Real Salt!

*Replace with cauliflower and this should be GAPS-friendly.  Or just for fun!

Directions:

In a large soup pot, melt the butter.

Mince your onions.

Add the onion and saute for about 5 minutes, until softened.  You might choose to add a small shredded carrot at this point; I didn’t have any.

While the onion is cooking, peel and chop your potatoes into small bites.  You don’t have to peel them, but my 1-year-old spilled vinegar on them in the pantry, so I peeled.

Add your chicken stock.

Then, add the potatoes.  Set the timer for 10 minutes and turn the soup up to medium high.  It needs to boil, but not too hard.

During these 10 minutes, chop up your broccoli if you need to do that.  I did.

Add the broccoli and the sea salt (I started with 1/2 tsp.) and turn the timer on for 10 more minutes.

Then, shred your cheese if needed.

At this point, you should have a few minutes.  Chop up some fresh fruit or throw together a salad to go with this so dinner’s done easily. When the timer goes off again, check to make sure your broccoli and potatoes are cooked through and soft.  The starch from the potatoes should have thickened up the soup pretty nicely.  See?

If, for some reason, this didn’t happen (it might not since the potatoes don’t cook super long and release all their starch), you can add 1 – 2 tbsp. flour or arrowroot powder or another thickener.  Add arrowroot to a small amount of cool water first; add flour directly, a tiny bit at a time.  Stir constantly as you add it.  I wanted mine extra creamy, so I did.

Add all the cheese and stir until melted.

Now it’s done, time to serve!  This should make about 4 servings, medium-sized bowls.  If you have a very hungry or larger family you might want to double it, or serve it also with some crusty bread or in a sourdough bread bowl something.  I might have made chocolate chip bread after dinner….

Enjoy!

**This post has been entered in Frugal Days and Sustainable Ways.**

What’s your favorite quick meal?