Best Pico de Gallo

Chips and salsa is pretty much my favorite snack ever. Really. While tomatoes have been in season, I've been whipping up batches of this pico de gallo every week. I love the chunky, fresh textures and can seriously go through an entire batch in one sitting. It's great with chips obviously, but also really good on top of seafood, chicken, or eaten alone (shh, don't tell anyone). I am so hesitant to call things "best", but after years of making this, I feel I must share my secrets with the world. Try it soon with the best tomatoes you can find. You won't be sorry.


Gather your ingredients


Halve the tomatoes and scoop out the seeds and pulp


Dice the tomatoes


Tiny onion, you don't want onion breath all day and besides, you're going to have a different onion element with the green onion.


Add the onion to the pile


Green onions are next


Add minced jalapenos to the pile, seeds and all.


Mmmm...cilantro!


Getting ready to mix.


Don't forget the lemon. You can certainly use lime instead.


Mix it all together


Don't forget to season it!


Enjoy!

One year ago: Bacon Kimchi Fried Rice
Two years ago: Fig, Bacon, and Gorgonzola Tart
Three years ago: Apple Crumb Cake

Perfect Pico de Gallo
(By Esi)

Makes about 4 cups (or one serving if you're ravenous like me)

3 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
2 tablespoons chopped green onion
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
Juice from 1 lemon
Salt to taste

Mix the tomatoes, yellow onion, green onion, jalepeno, cilantro, and lemon together in a medium bowl. Season to taste with salt.

Of course you can enjoy right away, but it's best to let flavors marry for a few hours before digging in.

Printable Recipe

Healthy Black Bean Dip

I've decided that if I want to try and keep any semblance of sanity, and still put out great recipes, I may have to stop trying to be so witty and cute in my posts...but am I even very cute or witty in my posts? Anyway, here's a dip I enjoyed while watching the Super Bowl. It's easy, fast, and healthy! Just don't tell anyone. This is definitely going to be my new go to recipe when I want something fun to eat, but don't want to put a lot of time in to it. It's smoky, tangy, and eating it with a dollop of sour cream on top cuts through the spice a bit. I made this on Saturday evening and it was so good, I almost didn't have enough for the game. Now that I am re-stocked on black beans, I have a feeling I'll be making this again very soon.




Healthy Black Bean Dip
(Adapted from Active Foodie)



Makes 2 generous servings

1 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
2 chipotles in adobo
1/4 teaspoon adobo sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 clove garlic, grated
2 small tomatoes, seeds and pulped scooped out and diced, one reserved for topping
Juice of 1/2 lime
2 green onions, whites and light green parts sliced, green tops reserved
2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Place beans, chipotles, adobo sauce, salt, and garlic in a food processor and pulse until well mixed.

Add the tomatoes, lime, green onions, and cilantro and pulse just until combined.

Serve with grated cheese, tomatoes, sour cream and corn chips.

Printable Recipe

Super Bowl Ideas

I can't believe the Super Bowl is just a week away. The years are going by faster and faster which I guess is one of the tell-tale signs of old age. LOL. In any case, it's that time of year again and whether you're having a gathering of one or 50, I have some fabulous recipes for you to set out on your table.

I'm not a huge football fan like I used to be, but I always make time for the Super Bowl. I always have to consume beer and chicken wings. This year it will probably be these super spicy, but wonderfully amazing Sriracha Chicken Wings. These replace regular old buffalo wings in my book.



Maybe you're not up for a lot of fuss and want to just cook up a big pot of something warming for your friends. This spicy turkey chili is great for one or a crowd and takes just minutes to throw together.



If you're in a warmer climate, or you just feel like firing up the indoor grill, I strongly suggest these easy peasy prosciutto wrapped shrimp. It is super fast to pull together and you can't beat working with just two ingredients. Even though they are no fuss, the flavor is outstanding.



Chips and dip are always on the menu for game day. How about making it different with a feta salsa?



Of course, a sweet treat is a must at the end of all the savory food and beer. Why not try a sweet and salty mix of peanut chocolate blondies. They will probably go perfectly with all the beer you'll be consuming.



Whatever you end up doing for the Super Bowl, I hope you have a fun and safe celebration with a TON of good eats!!

Feta Salsa

The other day I was reading food blogs when I saw this post on Kevin's blog. I immediately jumped up and made it myself. I had all the ingredients already and I needed something to with some chips I had just gotten. It takes about two minutes to make and the flavor is amazing!! Instead of using plain olive oil, I used a little bit of the oil from the sun dried tomatoes which added some great flavor. I will definitely be making this again and have it with some pita chips or a warm homemade pita (project!). Hope you are enjoying your weekend. Despite the gloom I am going to walk around and enjoy some art with the boys today. Have a good one!



Feta Salsa
(Adapted from Smitten Kitchen and Closet Cooking)

Makes 2 servings

4 ounces goat's milk feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in oil, chopped
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives, chopped
2 cloves garlic, grated or minced
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
Juice from 1/2 small lemon
2 teaspoons olive oil (I used the oil from the sun dried tomatoes)
1 tablespoon flat leaf parsley, chopped

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and allow to sit for about 15 minutes for the flavors to come together. Serve with anything from vegetables, to pitas, to chips.

Printable Recipe

Greek Turkey Burgers

Blech, Monday again. This weekend went by way too quickly as usual. Before I forget, I should let you guys know that we are heading into the busiest time of the year at work so it may take me longer than normal to respond to your comments. Know that I appreciate all of them and I promise to try and respond as fast as I can. Well, unlike many people, I didn't attend any Superbowl parties. I feel like I only watch the Superbowl for the commercials and when you go to a party, there are usually too many people who talk over the important parts (the commercials) so you can't pay attention. Instead, I stayed home, cooked, cleaned, and also enjoyed one of these burgers. I actually made them on Saturday, but had enough left over for me to enjoy for the big game. I had a little turkey left over from the turkey meatballs over greens and I found the Greek inspired recipe on Closet Cooking. Once again, I made my own buns because it's way cheaper than running to the store to buy some buns. Plus, I think they are really easy to make. Last week I got some really awesome feta from the farmers market. I was a little dubious when the vendor claimed it would be the best feta I had ever tasted, but it kind of was. I prefer a chunkier tzatziki so instead of shredding the cucumbers, I just chopped them into smaller pieces. The overall combination of the burger and toppings was fantastic! It was filling without me feeling weighed-down and the flavors were excellent.

Update, the bun recipe is here.


Greek Turkey Burgers
(Adapted from Closet Cooking)

1/2 pound ground turkey
1/2 small onion, grated
1 clove garlic, grated
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh spinach (you can also use frozen, but make sure it is drained very well)
1 tablespoon crumbled feta
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl until well combined, but do not overmix. Form the mixture into patties. Grill, broil, or pan fry the patties.

Toppings:

Tzatziki (recipe follows)
Sliced tomatoes
Baby spinach
Thinly sliced red onions

Tzatziki
(From Closet Cooking)

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 1/2 teaspoons mint, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dill, chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, mix the yogurt, cucumber, lemon juice, garlic, mint, and dill. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Jazzed Up Black Bean Dip

Things I did this weekend (in no particular order): watched TV, rallied for equal rights with my friends, painted my finger and toenails a lovely red color, got my hair did, farmers marketed, and did a monster Trader Joes run. You may be wondering where I found time to eat during all of that. The truth is, while I am a huge advocate of eating whole meals and making things from scratch, once in a while, I have to take the easy way out. I found this old can of Trader Joes bean dip in my apartment and figured I had to use it soon (mostly because the sell-by date was unclear). Of course in true to me-self, I had to make some major upgrades and serve it with the good chips. I added some spices and things and this was the perfect food to kick back with on this particular Friday. Is it just me or does it seem like the purpose of every week is to reach the weekend? Well hope you all had a lovely one and that you stick around to see what I will bring you the rest of this week. I have a date with the Genius Bar at the Apple store tonight, so hopefully my computer issues will be resolved too!

If you have been affected by the wildfires raging in Southern California, my thoughts and prayers are with you.


Jazzed Up Black Bean Dip
(By Esi)

2 teaspoons canola oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 green onion, sliced, reserve some for garnish
1/2 can Trader Joes black bean dip
Juice from 2 limes (I used really small, difficult to juice limes, you may find that one lime is fine)
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
Shredded mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt
Tortilla chips for serving

In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and green onions and cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add the bean dip and spread all over so that it can heat evenly. Add the lime juice and red pepper flakes and mix until it is well combined.

When the bean dip is heated through, add about a tablespoon cheese and mix until it is all melted. Season with salt. Serve warm, topped with another tablespoon or so of cheese and the remaining green onions.

Hummus

Finally! A new food post. I actually wasn't sure I was going to be able to get this up because I had a quick night out with a couple of girlfriends at my favorite restaurant. We finished early enough so I could come home and watch my favorite show...I mean, cook something yummy. My fridge and cupboards are pretty bare, and I didn't feel like making a trip to the grocery store. Then I remembered this recipe for hummus that I saw a couple of weeks ago. I especially liked that it didn't use tahini which is really expensive at my store (I'm STILL waiting on that sugar daddy). I decided to add a little extra texture with a drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkle of pine nuts and paprika. This is really easy and can be mixed up so many different ways (next time I am for sure doing roasted garlic) and it's a great, healthy snack to take to work.

Hummus
(Adapted from The Delicious Life)

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon flat-leaf parsley, chopped
Paprika to taste
Pine nuts (optional)

In a small food processor pulse together the chickpeas, olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and a few dashes. Add more oil as needed until the hummus reaches a smooth consistency. Add the parsley and pulse a few times until just combined. Serve drizzled with olive oil, a sprinkle of paprika, and pine nuts if desired.

Daring Bakers September Challenge: Vegan Lavash and Toppings

After seeing the last few months of cakes, Danish braids, and eclairs, I finally decided enough was enough. I wanted to be a Daring Baker too! Now I am! I anxiously awaited my first challenge and then it came...vegan and/or gluten free lavash crackers and vegan and gluten free toppings. Umm...what?! In preparation for my first challenge, I actually went out an bought a ton of butter. I like to keep extra in the freezer, and now you're telling me I can't use it? The recipe was chosen by Shel from Musings From the Fishbowl and Natalie from Gluten A Go Go. Once my initial shock passed, I began to look at this for what it truly was...a challenge. And a really fun one at that. I had all the ingredients for the crackers already, except for the yeast, so I just had to think about what I wanted to do for the dips. That was quickly solved by a trip to the farmers market. I made two savory crackers and then one sweet. For my savory dip, I grilled tomatoes and made a nice little salsa (which FYI, is also awesome with scrambled eggs). Inspired by my friend's bluberry and blackberry galette, I thought I would do a dip with these same components for the sweet crackers, but that particular weekend at the farmers market there were no blueberries or blackberries to be found. I think it was just an off week because they were there a couple of weeks later. One of the farmers convinced me to try a golden raspberry so I decided to make my sweet dip based on that. It was good, but verrry tart. I think I actually enjoyed the sweet crackers on their own more than with a dip, although they were pretty good with my fig jam. I made my first batches of crackers during the first weekend of the month, but then last week I decided to make them again, replacing some of the regular flour with whole wheat flour. I kneaded the dough for longer than the 10 required minutes. I find kneading dough to be comforting, especially after a day of dealing with whiny actors, but that's a whole other story (PS, those actors that are my friends, you know I love you and I am sooo not talking about you!). In both cases, I didn't roll my dough out as thin as I could have so some of the crackers came out a little chewy and my very first batch required double time in the oven, but overall I was really happy with how they turned out.

For the first batch of savory crackers, I topped them with kosher salt and sesame seeds. These were the ones that required double the baking time, but they still came out really good. I decided to tear them apart after baking to give them a more rustic look. For the next batch of savory crackers, I used sesame seeds, kosher salt, cumin powder, and cayenne pepper. I forgot to press the seeds into the dough so most of the seeds fell off after I tore the crackers apart, but it was still a delicious cracker. Spicy and made doubly so with the grilled tomato salsa. The salsa was just Roma tomatoes rubbed on each side with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper and grilled for a couple of minutes on each side. Let the tomatoes cool and toss with jalapeno, green onions, cilantro, lime juice and season with salt and pepper.For the first sweet crackers I just combined a tablespoon of sugar with a teaspoon of cinnamon. I sprayed the dough with spray oil and then spread the cinnamon sugar mixture all over the top. I think these were my favorite. For the dip, I crushed a large handful of the golden raspberries in my hands and combined them with segments from one orange. Then I added about a tablespoon and a half of agave nectar and some lemon juice. Again, this is very tart (kind of like me) so if you want less tartness, reduce the lemon juice, or remove it all together.As I said, I really loved these crackers so I decided to try them again a few weeks later, replacing some of the regular flour with whole wheat flour. This time, I cut them before baking using a pizza cutter which made them easy to take apart once they had cooled. I did one batch of the savory with the same combination of kosher salt, sesame seeds, cumin powder, and cayenne pepper. This time I remembered to roll and press the sesame seeds into the dough, but some still fell off.
With the remaining scraps, I rolled them out and made another batch of the sweet crackers. Both of these versions were so good and such a nice snack to pack up and take to work. I have a feeling I will be making these crackers often. To get the full lavash recipe, visit Shel and Natalie. And thanks to them for picking a fun challenge. Visit the blogroll to see how the other crackers worked out.

Grilled Tomato Salsa

2 or 3 Roma tomatoes sliced, 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick
Olive oil for brushing
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
Juice from 1 lime

Preheat a grill. Brush each tomato slice with olive oil on each side. Season with salt and pepper. Grill on each side for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the grill and set aside to cool. In a small bowl combine the jalapeno, green onions, and lime juice. Chop the tomatoes and add to the mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper and serve with cooled crackers.


Golden Raspberry and Orange Relish

1 large handful of golden raspberries, crushed
1 orange, cut into segments and roughly chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons agave nectar or more to taste
Juice from 1 lemon
Zest from 1/2 lemon

Combine everything. Drain excess juice if desired.

Barefoot Bloggers: Smoked Salmon Spread

The second July recipe for Barefoot Bloggers was chosen by Ashley of the Spicy Skillet. I was a little worried at first about making this because I didn't know when and where I would serve it, but this past weekend also happened to be my birthday and a couple of friends came over for dinner before we went out, so I served it as the appetizer. I made it the night before and when I tasted it, I thought it was just OK, but I am glad I let it sit in the fridge overnight. The flavors really came together well. This was great with vegetables and crackers, but I am sure it would be delicious on a bagel too as a new take on bagels and lox. Head over to the Barefoot Bloggers site to see how everyone else did on the recipe!

Smoked Salmon Spread
(from Ina Garten)

8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 c low-fat sour cream
1 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp fresh dill, minced
1 tsp prepared horseradish, drained
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 oz smoked salmon, minced

Cream the cheese with an electric mixer until smooth. Add the sour cream, horseradish, lemon juice, dill, salt, and pepper and mix. Add the smoked salmon and mix well. Chill and serve with crudites or crackers.