It always turns out pretty good. Just not fabulous like we would like.
We have eaten some great Mexican meals.
For awhile we stuck with the 'Better homes and gardens' chunky salsa recipe. We always still hoped for something more. And, after various research and finding 'Chili's salsa copy cat recipes' etc. I finally tweaked a recipe that we love!
After our last trip to the U.S. we knew I needed another go at good salsa (David is pretty picky and he wouldn't mind me saying). You have to be picky when you eat at 'Monterys' in Btown every 10 days or so for 2 months. That is a lot of GREAT salsa. No worker in the restaurant has English as his first language. It is a real Mexican restaurant and we love it. Finally, one of our last times in there (and recognized by the staff), the waiters started talking to/about our kids. I had taken one child out into the mall area, and I watched David and Poppy chat it up with the staff. Poppy told them that we live overseas and that we want to make their salsa! The waiter gladly went back to the chef...and got some tidbits. And like all good recipes, there were no measurements!!! Ugh. But the key ingredient, I think, and what I have found everywhere, is fried jalapenos! Awesome. Except we can't get them. But still I tried a few different things and here is what I came up with. I made this last week, with baked chicken chimichangas, and David said: 'You have done it!' I was so pleased to please my man (picky as he is about his salsa).
Experiment with this all you like, and enjoy! See the 'Mock Jalapeno' recipe below this one.
Restaurant Style Salsa
|
4 cups + chopped
tomatoes
|
|
About 1/2 cup
onion, chopped
|
|
1/2 cup green
pepper, chopped
|
|
3 TBS Lemon juice
|
|
2 TBS cilantro,
chopped
|
|
2 cloves garlic,
minced
|
|
1/4 tsp pepper
|
|
1/2 tsp salt (or
more)
|
|
1 can tomato paste
|
|
1/2 cup mock
jalapenos.
|
|
2 TBS oil
|
|
Stir together all
ingredients except tomato paste and jalapenos.
Stir fry the mock
jalapenos (or real ones) in the oil until a little caramelized and crunchy.
Put a little over
half the main mixture (3/4 maybe depending on how chunky you like it) into
blender with the tomato paste and fried jalapenos and puree.
Mix back together,
chill and serve.
This makes a lot,
you can cut it in half and make 1/2 less spicy.
Note to those in
Asia: Wash everything really well since this is uncooked salsa!
|
Chinese Mock Jalapenos
- Choose peppers: short smaller wrinkled green hot pepper. Wash 6-8 (or more depending on the pepper and size) wash and take stems off and slice across just like you get when you buy jalapenos in a jar (wholeround pieces leaving the seeds in place). I actually use the thin, longer, green peppers which are spicy but not too hot, and I chop about 10-12 of them at least. Any smaller somewhat spicy pepper should work.
- Put in a wide bottom bowl then pour the liquid (recipe below) over them and let them sit until cooled, then put them in a glass jar and refrigerate
- Liquid recipe: bring to a boil 1 ½ cups of white vinegar and 1/3 cup of sugar and ½ tsp of salt. Boil until sugar is dissolved and while still hot pour over the peppers. I have a lot of peppers crowded in this liquid and they still always turn out well. Stores in frig up to a month.
- I always make these spicy. To add spice, I buy the small very hot peppers (xiao mila), I usually use 3-4 and slice them as well. You could adjust the spice by just cutting in half and not really letting all the seeds and juice out. But we let it all out by chopping them. Add more or less depending on how much kick you want. The result is a sweet, but spicy pepper that we use on lots of things, not just Mexican food.
