Summer's Perfect Pico De Gallo

I believe pico de gallo should be a household staple. The one thing that's always fresh in the fridge.. perfect to pull out for unexpected guests, a perfect topper to scrambled eggs, throw it on a burger with a few slices of avocado for a festive twist. You can't go wrong with homemade pico de gallo!

:: Pico De Gallo ::

8 ripe campari tomatoes 

(homegrown are always best, but in the store they're there ones you'll find on the vine)

1/2 of a large red onion

2 cloves garlic

 4 tablespoons chopped cliantro

juice from 1/2 of a large lime

 salt to taste

 

Chop everything to desired size and combine in a large bowl. Chill for at least 1 hour before serving.. if you can wait! 

Enjoy!!

A Tantalizing Tomatillo Salsa Recipe

Chips and salsa beat out any fancy appetizer in my book. Homemade salsa and chips? Impossible to pass up. We made tomatillo salsa this past weekend and the large jar has almost been completely devoured. As long as you have a blender, you're good to go. The process is such an easy one, you'll be able to whip up a batch in 15 minutes. Bottle up an extra batch for a special hostess gift or to keep on hand for unexpected guests.

1. Gather all of the above ingredients

2. Placed chopped tomatillos, diced onion, chopped seranos (amount dependent on how spicy you'd like your salsa), cumin and cilantro in blender

3. Pulse until all ingredients listed in step 2 are blended together

4. Pour your blended mixture into a sauce pan

5. Simmer salsa on stove top for about 10 minutes

6. Place back into the blender, check on the spice of the mixture. 

Add another serano pepper if you need more heat!

7. If you'd like your salsa to be creamier, add in a sliced avocado and blend until desired consistency

8. Squeeze in lime to taste

9. Let salsa cool and place in a large [recycled!] jar

10. Refrigerate for a few hours, grab some tortilla chips and ENJOY!!

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. ~Confucius

So my time in Austin continues on, long story short I'll be in this beautiful city until Tuesday. Yesterday's weather was in my opinion amazingly perfect. With the SXSW bands singing to me from South Congress, I opened all the doors and windows and enjoyed every minute of it. With the beautiful weather, Mom and I decided that grilling outside was the only way dinner should be done. I took it a step further and decided for a change of scenery, I would set up a table outside so we could dine outside and continue to enjoy the weather. 

Our menu:

Tortilla Chips with Homemade Guacamole

Buttered Cod topped with Mango Salsa

Rice Pilaf

Lemon Meringue Pie 

I don't consider myself to be an amazing cook, but I do love cooking. The mango salsa was pretty delicious though so I thought I'd share it with you! After looking over a million mango salsa recipes, I decided to pick and choose my ingredients and luckily, it came out perfectly! Make your own adjustments and enjoy!!

Mango Salsa

3 Mangos

1 Red Pepper

1 Orange

1 Red Onion

2 Limes

1 Bunch Cilantro

5 Roma (or Plum) Tomatoes 

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes 

Mirin Rice Cooking Wine

Salt and Pepper

Cut (3) Mangos, (5) Tomatoes, and (about 1/2) Red Onion into small pieces similar to the picture above. Remember, no seeds in your tomato pieces!

Separate the Cilantro leaves from the stems and start chopping! Depending on the flavor strength of your cilantro, you can decide how much you use. 

Juice the orange and limes and combine all of the ingredients. Add your desired amount of red pepper flakes, a few tablespoons of the rice vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes or until dinner is served!

Throw on top of your favorite fish and enjoy! Left overs? It's also great on chips as a sweet and tangy salsa!