Homemade Salsa

Apparently, people must think that I like cookbooks.  Ok, they know I love them, really.  I say this because I got not just one, but three for Christmas.

Here's one that I got from my brother and sister-in-law.  They are forever promoting spicy Mexican food and will take random trips to Albuquerque to purchase roasted green chiles.  

It's a cookbook for salsa and tacos from the Santa Fe School of Cooking.  There are some delicious looking recipes in here for traditional salsa, as well as mango, pineapple and other yummy varieties that I am sure I will be testing out sooner or later.  They said that they would help me out with finding some of the ingredients, which I am certain I will need since they don't sell some of these crazy chiles here in Arkansas.  But, since they are 1,500 miles away, it could be a challenge.  Oh, well.  Enough on that.

I was inspired by this new book to make some homemade salsa for a potluck that I have this week.  I've never made it before, but think I have been converted to a homemade salsa only girl.

I didn't follow the recipe in the book exactly, since, well, the chili that it called for was $3.50 each, and it needed two.  So, I went for the chipotle chili in adobo sauce, which has a yummy spicy and smokey flavor. It's buried under the cilantro above.

I dumped it all in my food processor and pulsed it about 15 times to get it all combined while still leaving some chunks.

It made so much.  I love it!  I mean this stuff was so good that my friend and I kept eating it even after having a full dinner.  It was hard to stop.  Now I want to figure out how to seal these jars so that I can store it in my pantry.  I mean I could eat it all, but I don't need the tortilla chips...

So, I have picked up a habit of not always measuring ingredients out and the same recipe may not taste the same from one time to the next.  Experimental cooking, perhaps?  I try to be good and write it down if I really like something, but it doesn't always happen.  But, I was excited about this one and so I did write it down, and I'll share it with you!

Fresh Salsa

2 large cans of whole tomatoes, drained (1 lbs. 12 oz size)

2 cloves garlic, minced

Half of a small red onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon cumin

The juice of 1 lime

Half a small bunch of cilantro

1 chipotle pepper with a bit of the adobo sauce (start with a little and add more according to your taste)

Place all ingredients in the food processor.  Pulse about 15 times until mixed, but still chunky.  Place in refrigerator for 30 minutes to let the flavors meld.