18.5.10

Spice it up with Fresh Salsa

Posted by Stephanie | Labels: , , , , ,



THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.


Salsa: It's delicious, spicy, and the most used condiment in America. It goes with anything and everything, and is easy to make.

What's your favourite use for salsa? Try mixing it in with scrambled eggs, putting it on pizza before cooking it, or throwing a little bit into a green salad (as dressing) with tomatoes. It also is a great addition as a topping on grilled chicken breasts or salmon steaks.

Bowl of salsa

Now for the good stuff... one of the most beautiful things about making your own salsa is that there are no rules; you can simply cater the recipe to your palate preferences. Here are a few different salsa recipes - there's bound to be one that will make your mouth water.

Pico De Gallo
This version is my favourite. It has ingredients that I usually have in the fridge, and offers a nice bite.

Ingredients:
5 large ripe tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 red onion, diced
2 jalapenos, diced
2 cloves garlic, smashed and minced
Juice of one large lime
Coarse salt, to taste
1 bunch fresh cilantro, minced (optional)
Mix all ingredients, refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Guacamole I've raved about this delicious dip before, and I'll do it again. And, no, I'm not crazy - guacamole is originally an Aztec version of salsa. Need a recipe? Check out my version of guac.

Sweet and Spicy Mango Avocado Salsa
This is a neat variation of salsa - it's just a bit sweet, a bit spicy, and very flavourful. It too makes a great topping for chicken or fish with its tropical twist.

Ingredients:
1 avocado, diced
Juice of one large lime
1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
1 red onion, diced
2 jalapenos, diced (seed if you want a less spicy salsa)
Coarse salt, to taste
1 handful fresh cilantro, minced
Mix all ingredients, refrigerate at least 2 hours.

Do you have a favourite salsa recipe?
Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

comments (0)

28.4.10

Some Like it Hot

Posted by Stephanie | Labels: , , ,



THIS BLOG HAS MOVED. IT IS NOW AT SEARED.CA. CLICK HERE TO BE REDIRECTED.


I'm no Sugar Kane Kowalczyk, but I do like it hot. I'll throw jalapenos on anything, use garlic-chili sauce in almost every dish, and substitute cayenne pepper for the black ground variety. I try to tone it down a little when I'm cooking for other people, but I'd like to think that over time, they, too, will begin to like it hot.


My favourite spicy dish? Chicken Vegetable Stir-Fry. Let’s take a look at the numbers:

10: minutes it takes to prepare
15: minutes it takes to cook
2-4: number of people it feeds
2-3: glasses of water you’ll need to cool your mouth

Want to give it a try? Here’s the recipe - feel free to add or remove ingredients as you go along and make it your own. After all, not everyone has the same taste. Not everyone likes it hot...

Chicken Vegetable Stir-Fry

1-2 Boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into thin strips horizontally
4 mini heads of bok choy, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, smashed then minced
2-3 large carrots, sliced (1/2 cm thick)
3 celery stalks, sliced (1/2 cm thick)
2 cups broccoli
½ cup pineapple tidbits
1/3 cup cashews (unsalted)
1 red pepper, cut into small squares
1 cup baby spinach, chopped
1 jalapeño, sliced (seed left in)
1 tsp reduced sodium soy sauce
3-4 tbsp garlic-chili sauce
(other great additions: sliced mushrooms, chopped tomatoes, chopped cabbage)

Cook chicken in a medium-high heated wok until opaque, adding water when necessary. Add remaining ingredients; cook until slightly tender, with much of the juice remaining. Serve over steamed rice, Wun Tun noodles, or vermicelli rice noodles.

This dish goes great with a lighter beer (like Big Rock Grasshopper or Brahma beer), or a very clean white wine (like Mission Hill’s Pinot Gris).

Are you a fan of spicy foods? If so, what’s your favourite spicy dish? If you want some more tasty treats and ideas, check out Wanderfood Wednesday on Wanderlust and Lipstick.

Follow us on Twitter: @searedfoodblog

comments (1)

Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)
Subscribe