Easy Salsa

I love fresh salsa--but when good fresh tomatoes are scarce (or too expensive), it's easy to make from canned whole peeled tomatoes.

Note: Mr.W says this is the best salsa he's ever tasted. This, coming from a man who hates tomatoes... so serve this to your pickiest eaters!

Here's how I make it:


Salsa
makes about 2-1/2 cups prepared salsa

1 28-ounce can peeled whole tomatoes, drained
1 green onion (white and green parts), chopped fine
1/4 cup cilantro (if you don't like cilantro, you can use more parsley or other herbs, as desired)
2 tablespoons parsley
the juice of 1 medium lime (2 tablespoons juice)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped fine
kosher salt (about 1 teaspoon)
freshly ground black pepper (about 1/4 teaspoon)

Chop tomatoes into a chunky dice; drain away excess liquid and seeds. Transfer chopped tomatoes to a non-metallic bowl. Add remaining ingredients and stir gently with a spoon.

Can be kept covered in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. (But it won't last that long.)

Garlic BBQ Sauce

While surfing various foodblogs I stumbled across Habeas Brulee's event for pairing garlic with unusual ingredients. It befuddled me. What doesn't garlic go with? Mint? No... middle eastern cuisine is rampant with garlic-and-mint creations. Fruit? No... a fruited salsa could contain garlic. A neighbor of my parents owns a farm that cultivates tons of garlic--they even make garlic ice cream! So what would be an interesting challenge?

Dr. Pepper, which is my dear Mr.W's beverage of choice.

Yes, indeed, Dr. Pepper it would be. I thought immediately of the U.S. South, rampant with their bar-b-que sauces. Everyone has their own version, and I know that many cooks--in Georgia, especially--use Coca-Cola in their sauces, so why not Dr. Pepper?

So here is my entry for Yes, Of Course You Can Pair Garlic With That! Visit the roundup.


Garlic BBQ Sauce

5 cloves garlic, peeled and rough-chopped
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup Dr. Pepper
1/3 cup prepared ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared mustard
3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons (packed) light brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey
pinch cinnamon

Combine garlic and salt in a mortar and pestle; bash around until you have a chunky paste. Transfer to a medium saucepan and add remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently, until reduced to about half. (This took about 15 minutes.) Cool slightly and transfer to a bowl or jar (put a metal spoon in your container to avoid cracking). Cool thoroughly, cover and refrigerate.

Makes about 1 cup.



I was really pleased with the resulting flavor--certainly a sweet bbq sauce, perfect for chicken or ribs, but unlike the usual sickeningly-sweet sauces available on the market, the garlic really helped to balance this sauce's sweetness. It is not a super-thick sauce, either. This would offer your grilled meat of choice a sweet glaze without overpowering the taste of the meat itself. I really like it!


And Mr.W's verdict?

"It's garlicky... good. What's in it?"

"Dr. Pepper."

"You used some of my Doctor for cooking?"

"Yes."

"Harrumph!"

"But you like it."

"It is good."



Hah.
Mrs.W