Monday, August 31, 2009

Mango Salsa *Melissa


Go ahead and drool...yes, it's as good as it looks!
I'm drooling just thinking about this salsa.




2 large mangos, diced
3/4 of a bunch cilantro, chopped
2 shallots, minced (or 1/2 red onion)
1 red bell pepper, diced
Lime juice from 1 whole juicy lime
2 jalapenos, diced (seeded and ribs removed)
dash of salt

(
Toss this salsa with a can of black beans and you have a great side dish for any summer cookout!)

There you have it folks. A recipe for a scrumptious Mango Salsa

*TIP*
How to Slice
a
Mango


*tip courtesy of Rebecca Green (formerly Copty), my Palestinian sister-in-law who possesses some mad culinary skills especially in the way of baked goods. Rebecca taught me how to cut a mango a couple years ago and I think of her every time I do it now. Rebecca and my brother-in-law Jon currently reside in Edinburgh, Scotland, oh so far away.
  1. First thing to note is that mangos have large sinewy pits in the center. The trick is to cut from end to end slightly past the middle but as close to the pit as possible.
  2. Take the half without the pit and score through the fruit but without cutting through to the skin. Make a grid pattern with your cuts.
  3. Take the mango half and turn inside out, then, use a paring knife and scrape off the cubes of mango.
  4. Take the other half (with the pit) and cut as close as you can to the pit from the other side), then repeat steps 2-3




















*A note about the jalapenos: How much heat can you handle?? Well, Nate and I like the heat...not that he will eat this salsa due to the amounts of onions...boo. But, with peppers all the heat is in the seeds and the ribs. SO, if you remove them completely, you have almost no heat, leave a few seeds in and you have moderate heat, leave them all in and you have insane hotness! Also, Kristen gave me a little tip about roasting the jalapenos either on the grill or in the oven under a broiler. This way the flavor really comes through and the skins slide right off so you can chop away. However, if you like the crunch of the jalapenos then don't roast them.



"Sisters gotta hug"

Yes, my title is a shameless (gender altered) quote from Tommy Boy.

People keep asking me if I'm the only one posting to this blog. At the moment, yes. But I'm writing to let you know that both my sisters are excellent cooks and much better at baking than me! However, they both have their hands full with little kiddos and work. I'm amazed at what great mothers they are and how they manage to keep on cooking healthy meals and yummy desserts....finding a time to blog about it is another story. So, I know that eventually you will benefit from their culinary skillzzz. Let's just give them a little time:) Much love to ya, sisters...........the end

Salsa Fresca *Melissa

My friend, Kristen, makes the best SALSA FRESCA. I've been bugging her for the recipe and then decided we should just have a "salsa making Saturday." Due to everyone's busy summer schedules it turned out to be just Kristen and I for most of the afternoon and we were joined by Kelli and her little baby Samuel later on. I highly recommend making salsa with a friend because then you can share the chopping responsibilities.

Here it is, the recipe for a lovely Salsa Fresca. We chopped and we chopped and we ended up with two HUGE batches. It so happened that I was hosting a pre-wedding cookout for the Cuomo and Hudzinski families and the salsa ended up being a very nice addition to the "Bring-your-own-meat Cookout."


Now, I must pause for a commercial. The VIDALIA CHOP WIZARD is the coolest new gadget that Kristen introduced me to. It makes chopping a cinch! It has two different chopping blade grids of different sizes. We used one to chop the tomatoes and the other to chop the onions. If it weren't for the Vidalia Chop Wizard, Kristen and I would have been in the kitchen all day with dishpan fingers from all the juices. A quick and easy chopping of the onions was a must for Kristen...I've never seen anyone tear up as much as she did!










So, the chopping began....tomatoes, cilantro










Garlic and canned green chillies......



And the final touch...sea salt (extra used in place of whey) and lemon juice.