Last Monday I contributed for the Guacamole add on, and started to dream about rich, creamy guacamole. On Saturday I picked up my Guacamole pack and looked through the bag; avocados, green onion, jalapenos, cilantro, limes and another bag. Inside that bag was a treasure that I was not expecting; dried Chipotle peppers. By the time I got home I had lost interest in the avocados and my sights were firmly set on those wonderful aromatic chipotles. In my conventional basket were 4 big ripe tomatoes, BINGO…Fire Roasted Salsa! It took a couple days before I had time to make the salsa, by then I had remembered the avocados and guacamole.
When I make guacamole I start with a base of Pico de Gallo, it is also my base for fruit salsa (mango, peach, strawberry…). There are times to pull out the food processor, but to me Pico de Gallo is as much about the appearance as it is the flavor, so this is a job for a knife. With the Pico de Gallo, macerating I turn my attention to the Fire Roasted Salsa. Into the oven, under the broiler go the tomatoes, onion, peppers and garlic. I let them get nicely charred, then set them to cool. I soaked 2 of the chipotle peppers in very hot tap water to soften them. Now this is the time to break out the food processor, I blended all the ingredients together, and when I opened the lid, the smell of all those roasted veggies enhanced by that little smoky chipotle was intoxicating! I added Pico de Gallo to a couple ripe diced mangos and served a salsa trio appetizer. It is amazing how roasting the ingredients changed the flavor so dramatically, and to think it all started when I saw that little smoky treasure! I hope you give it a try!
Miranda Shultz
Home cook and wife
Ingredients
- 4-5 tomatoes
- 1 onion
- 2 jalapeno peppers
- 2 cloves of garlic (skin on for roasting)
- 2 smoked chipotle peppers (softened in hot water)
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt
- ½ a bunch of cilantro
Instructions
- Cut the tomatoes in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Quarter onions, add onions, peppers and garlic to baking sheet. Turn on the broiler; place the baking sheet in the oven on the top rack. It will take several minutes to get a nice char, turn the peppers once so both sides have a chance to char.
- Remove from oven, allow it to cool. (Remove the seeds and membranes from the peppers if you do not want too much heat to the salsa) Chop the tomatoes, onions and peppers into smaller pieces. Put all the ingredients into a food processor and blend until it is a thickness you like. Add salt to taste. Store in the refrigerator or freeze.
Ingredients
- 3 tomatoes
- 2 jalapenos
- 1 onion (I use red, but any will work)
- ½ a bunch of cilantro
- 2-3 cloves garlic
- Juice of 2 limes
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- Finely hand dice tomatoes, jalapenos and onion and place in a medium sized bowl, finely chop cilantro and garlic and add it to the bowl. Gently stir the Pico de Gallo. Squeeze in lime juice and add in salt to taste. Allow it to set 10-15 minutes for the flavors to marry.
- Store in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- Pico de Gallo
- 2 ripe mangoes
Instructions
- Finely dice 2 ripe mangos and add to a small bowl. Stir in between ¼ to ½ a cup of Pico de Gallo.
- Store in the refrigerator.
