Salsa!

I think I could eat chips and salsa every day. Totally not kidding. But I'm kind of picky about my salsas. I like tangy, and fresh, sometimes sweet. My mom brought us some mango salsa, pineapple salsa and peach salsa. They're really good, but I can eat only a little because they're pretty sweet.

I decided to make some Salsa Verde (that's green salsa to you non-Spainglish speaking people...) the other day. I had some cilantro, tomatillos, and jalapenos on hand, so it was perfect. I made up the recipe, without measuring, like normal, so here's some approximate measurements...sorry.

SALSA VERDE

1 bunch cilantro, chopped
6 jalapenos, seeded
6 tomatillos, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
lime juice
salt
black pepper

Blend all ingredients together.

I also love just regular tomato salsa. I received this recipe a year or so, and it's delicious!

FRESH TOMATO SALSA

1 yellow onion
2-3 jalapenos (seed them if you want to reduce the heat)
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 bunch of cilantro
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. sugar
1- 28 oz. can whole tomatoes (or just slice up some ripe tomatoes)
1- 8 oz. can tomato sauce
1/2 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 tsp. white vinegar

Chop all ingredients up, or just dump into a blender and blend.

Advertising Gimmicks

This is what I get for looking at the Sunday ads. I spy a great deal on nectarines and immediately decided to pull out the old electronic recipe file for this one recipe that I saw once upon a time that I needed to try, but never have, but it looked so good I made sure I kept it.

All because our local store has nectarines for 69 cents a pound.

It better be as good as it looks.

Plus the jalapenos are on sale too. And it's an hispanic market, so you know they have good jalapenos!

Nectarine Mango Salsa

½ Large Vidalia Onion
4 Nectarines, pitted and sliced
2 Mangos, peeled, pitted, and sliced
2 large tomatoes
4 limes, freshly squeezed
½ c. cilantro
2 T. sugar
½ fresh jalapeno, seeded
1 tsp. salt

Place all ingredients in a blender. Puree until your favorite consistency is achieved. Serve with tortilla chips, over grilled chicken or pork chops, or over steamed sticky rice. Store, well covered, in the fridge for up to 3 days.

G = Garden Fresh and German Chocolate Cake

Garden Salsa

3 large tomatoes - diced
1 yellow onion - diced
2 anaheim peppers - diced
1 jalapeno pepper - diced
1/2 bunch cilantro - chopped
1/4 c. white vinegar
garlic salt
ground black pepper

Mix all vegetables together with vinegar, season with garlic salt and pepper. Let sit in refrigerator for a few hours for flavors to blend. Keep refrigerated after making.

4-Step German Chocolate Cake

1 c. coconut
1 c. chopped pecans
1 box - german chocolate cake mix
1 (8 oz.) cream cheese - softened
1 stick butter - melted
3 3/4 c. powdered sugar

1. Grease 9x13 in. baking pan. Mix coconut and nuts together and place on bottom of greased pan.

2. Mix up boxed german chocolate cake as directed on box. Pour on top of nut mixture.

3. Mix together cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar. Pour on top of batter in globs.

4. Bake at 350° for 45-55 minutes.

F = Fruit

I don't know if there is anything I love to eat more in this world than fresh fruit. Mmmmm! Ripe, juicy peaches, strawberries and grapes. Crisp apples and pears. Tangy citrus, refreshing melon...the following recipe can be altered to include your favorite fruits, particularly those in season. It's a very versatile recipe. I've substituted the fruit preserves with lime juice before and it was really good too.

Fruit Salsa with Cinnamon Crisps

2 kiwis, peeled and diced
2 Golden Delicious apples - peeled, cored and diced
8 ounces raspberries
3 peaches - peeled and diced
2 bananas - sliced
1 pound strawberries - sliced
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
3 tablespoons fruit preserves, any flavor

Mix together in large bowl. Best if served soon after making; keep in refrigerator until served.

Cinnamon Crisps

10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1 cup cinnamon sugar

Slice flour tortillas into triangles. Arrange triangles in a single layer on a lightly greased baking sheet. Spray with cooking spray and sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar. Bake 5-10 minutes at 350°. Watch closely so they don't burn.