Salsa

hillbillylee1

New member
Salsa

Salsa is one of those low calorie foods that vary from country to country, state to state and home to home. You can buy it in stores but you also get the added yuckies they put in them trying to make them last forever. I make several kinds and this is just a simple one you can make that will add tons of flavor to food without the use to ketchups and things like that. This is more of a sweet one but you could always add hot peppers and white onions rather than the red for the hot version.

6 Roma tomatoes
1 can of diced tomatoes
2 cans of tomato sauce
1 large red onion
several mild peppers. They really can be anything that turns your head.
1 bunch of cilantro
some whole "Mexican" spices. cumin, coriander
1 fresh lime
2 cloves of garlic
salt and pepper to taste

I make mine in a food processor. It really makes it easy.

1. In a dry pan toast your spices for a few minutes. It just seems to make them stronger and taste better.(this step can be left out)
grind up the spices in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle or anything that will grind very fine.

2. While this is going on run your onions, garlic, peppers, 1/4 of the cilantro and blend them as fine as you like.

3. put these in a non stick pan and start sautéing or sweating them down till they get all sweet and yummy.

4. chop your tomatoes in the same fashion as you did your onions and such and add all your spices plus another 1/4 of the cilantro.

5. Add your tomato mix to your cooked onions and peppers.

6. Now add about a cup and a half of water to the mix and thin it down.

7. let it simmer until it get to the thickness you like.

8. Just as it finishes check your seasoning and add some cilantro for garnish. Add the juice of one lime and your done.


It's low calorie and it can be eaten on chips, used for something like a chicken marinade or simply added to uncooked rice before you start the simmer process and you will get a great Spanish rice.

This is just a basic recipe. try it with hotter peppers or maybe some tomatillos for a green salsa.
 
That sounds really good. My dad doesn't like cooked salsa, so he makes his fresh. Lucky man has a huge garden in his backyard. He picks his tomatoes, onions, green peppers and thai peppers from the garden and buys the cilantro and garlic from the store. He chops everything up and throws in it a bowl with some salt (to help break down the tomatoes) Leaves it in the fridge overnight and when we have it the next afternoon, it's perfect.

I've never tried lime in my salsa. I'll have to try it next time.
 
I haven't really found a salsa I didn't like. I like the raw version as well. I use the raw type for putting on top of finished foods for that last zip. This one I use more as an ingredient in cooking. It works well to top food at the end as well. Another one I like is to substitute mango for the tomatoes and thats good for a sweeter style salsa.
 
hillbillylee said:
Another one I like is to substitute mango for the tomatoes and thats good for a sweeter style salsa.
I love fruit salsas... especially on plain grilled chicken or turkey or even fish -- perks it up and gives it a buncgh of flavor...

and any fruits can really be used... mango, strawberries, melons, pineapple... just add cilantro, jalapeno peppers and an acid - lemon or lime juice... :)
 
kleam said:
what do you eat the salsa with that isnt fattening?

you can put salsa on baked potatoes, eggs, pita bread that you've sliced up and toasted, celery, zucchini slices, grilled chicken or turkey, it wakes up a piece of very boring baked or broiled white fish (fruit salsa is really nice on fish), a little bit of lite cream cheese and a spoonful or two of salsa on a wasa cracker makesa hearty snack
 
Salsa is really good on just about anything. Meats, veggies, you could bake up some cut low carb tortillas and make you one chips. I think my fave is over salads instead of dressing. take some salsa ad a spoon of lite sour cream to give that creamy kinda dressing taste.
 
So, is this a way I can get a tiny bit more veggie into my diet? I hope so, I love salsa with baked nachos, potatoes, chicken, etc.
 
This thread is the greatest! I have gathered some great ideas for my menus this week. I was just telling M2M that I just bought some fresh salsa from Sam's and it's so good I almost drank it out of the container.

I never considered using it as a dressing before but I certainly will now! Awesome everybody, simply awesome. Thanks for the great ideas!
 
Lower Calorie Bean Burrito

In place of taco bell............

Here is a lower calorie version of the bean burrito that I made tonight. If you want to make it even lower in calories then use low fat cheese or don't use cheese at all. It was quick, easy to make, filling and SO good. Also, if you want to take more time you could make this dish completly natural (and less sodium) by not using the canned versions of these foods:

From my journal:

(595)Dinner:Whole Wheat Pita pocket, toasted(150), The following ingredients I mixed together and cooked in a pan and ate on the pita pocket: 3/4 cup Old El Paso Vegetarian Refried beans(135), 1 Can of 100 % Natural :Valley Fresh White Chicken seasoned with garlic pepper(80), 2 tbl. Old Elpaso Green Chilli peppers(10), 1/2 cup of mexican shredded cheese (220),1 tbl. "taco bell mild sauce" from a jar(0). Diet Green Tea (0)


(105)After Dinner Snack:Fiber One vanilla yogurt(mixed with nutmeg and ginger) Half of a small granny smith apple (25)
 
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I always wanted to make/try homemade salsa, thanks!
 
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