There’s nothing not to love about salsa. It spices up any dish, it’s fresh, it’s a simple way to add veggies, it’s low calorie, low sodium… basically it’s the food version of Justin Timberlake (it’s perfect). Sure there are some great jarred salsas out there, but nothing beats homemade. And with a recipe this simple, there is really no excuse not to make your own. Stole this one from www.foodnetwork.com. We have made this several times and tweaked it some each time (added roasted chilis, bell peppers, mango, avocado, etc), but here you will find the base recipe.
So what makes salsa so healthy? First of all, you can use it in place of just about any unhealthy condiment. Need high sugar ketchup on your burger? Try salsa instead. Need high fat salad dressing? Try salsa instead. Need high calorie cheese on your eggs? Try salsa instead. Want saturated fat laden sour cream on your baked potato? Try salsa instead. You get the gist. The stuff is also loaded with the powerful antioxidant lycopene, shown to ward off heart disease and even cancer. Lycopene has also been linked to skin health (and you know I’m all about good skin). It is packed full of vitamin C, folate, vitamin K, potassium, and filling fiber. And for a 1/2 cup of salsa, you’re looking at only 35 calories, you can’t beat that!
Homemade Salsa
Ingredients:
• Two 10-ounce cans diced tomatoes and green chiles, such as Rotel
• One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes with juice
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves (or more to taste!)
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 whole jalapeno, quartered and sliced thin, with seeds and membrane
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 whole lime, juiced
Directions:
Combine the diced tomatoes, whole tomatoes, cilantro, onions, garlic, jalapeno, cumin, salt, sugar and lime juice in a blender or food processor. (This is a very large batch. I recommend using a 12-cup food processor, or you can process the ingredients in batches and then mix everything together in a large mixing bowl.)
