Its summertime and with the barrage of hot weather and high temps that means less inclination to be in the kitchen and more inclination to go the “quick-n-easy” route when it comes to eating. I had a friend that when we would be on one of our summertime craft benders, we’d just buy an assortment of dips and spreads, cheeses and breads, and call it a meal. It was filling without being fussy.
So whether you’re heading out to a picnic or chilling on the back porch with a frosty adult beverage, one cool snacking option to take under advisement is salsa.
SALSA
Salsa – is Mexican for "sauce" and is a spicy blend of tomatoes, onions, and chili peppers, which can be cooked or uncooked. It’s primarily used as a dip, but can be used as an ingredient in many types of recipes (see Chicken Picante recipe at http://theculinarycreative.blogspot.com/2010/01/healthy-new-year.html).
You can get salsa in every heat variety from mild to spicy to burn-your-face-off. There are several types of basic salsa:
Salsa cruda – means “raw sauce,” also known as pico de gallo (which means “rooster’s beak” – don’t ask me why) or salsa fresca (“fresh sauce”) and is an uncooked, rough-chopped, raw mixture of the basic ingredients.
Salsa roja – mean “red sauce” and typically uses tomatoes, onions, garlic, chili peppers and cilantro, it’s usually a blended mixture of the ingredients.
Salsa verde – means “green salsa” and typically uses tomatillos, green chiles, and cilantro as its base ingredients, also blended to be smooth like salsa roja and cooked.
Salsa ranchera – means “ranch-style sauce” and is made with tomatoes, different types of chilies, and a blend of spices, it’s usually served warm (which means cooked) and tends to be thicker than other salsas.
You also find a lot of salsa that incorporate fruit, either in addition to or in lieu of tomatoes. Some more popular salsa use mango (see Mango Salsa recipe at http://theculinarycreative.blogspot.com/2011/04/jerk-pork-tostadas-with-black-bean.html), pineapple, or peach…or a combo thereof.
There’s a lot of room to experiment and try your own mixtures (see Watermelon Salsa recipe at http://theculinarycreative.blogspot.com/2010/08/wet-n-wild.html).
Fresh salsa is found in the refrigerated part of your grocery store and should be used more than 5-6 days after unsealing it.
Cooked or store-bought salsa can be kept unopened at room temp for up to 6 months, but once you break that seal, it’s best to use it within a month.
2 comments:
How does salsa differ from chutney?
Good question. Chutneys are also a condiment/dip but originated in Southern Asia, in particular India and Pakistan (whereas salsa comes to us from South America). Generally speaking, chutneys are a sweetened preserve made from a combination of fruits and/or veggies, herbs and spices. They can be sweet or spicy…or sometimes both. In the U.S. and Europe, chutneys follow a simple formula – fruit, vinegar and sugar cooked and reduced until thickened, often flavored with a complimentary spice.
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