The Big Game, and a Super Bowl of Salsa

I don't always talk about politics. In fact, I am a huge sports fan. Baseball tops the list for me, but football comes in a close second. Whether I am enjoying the boys of summer, professional football, college basketball, or indoor lacrosse, one thing I always like to enjoy with the games is a great bowl of salsa.

Jars of salsa does not do the trick, and buying salsa from your favorite Mexican restaurant can get expensive. So, originated by my dad, and upgraded by me, I use an at-home recipe for that Super Bowl of salsa.

Ready?


Ingredients:

1 can of RO TEL ORIGINAL Diced Tomatoes and Green Chiles
2-3 Medium Tomatoes (DO NOT REFRIGERATE TOMATOES - refrigeration causes tomatoes to lose their taste a little)
1 large lime
1 Clove of Garlic
3-6 Green Onions
Cilantro (optional)
1/2 of a Carrot (optional)
jalepeno pepper (optional)
Salt

Double the ingredients for a larger batch.


Pour can of diced tomatoes and green chiles into bowl.

Cut fresh tomatoes by hand into small pieces, the smaller the better. Do not use food processor or similar device because it makes the salsa taste watered down. I often use Roma Tomatoes - if you do, add one more tomato because they are smaller.

Add Tomatoes to bowl.

Cut lime in half and squeeze juice into bowl. I often have another lime or two available in case I get a lime that does not produce much juice. If it has seeds, hold the cut side up when you squeeze so that seeds don't fall into mixture. Some folks like less lime and only use a half a lime for this size of a batch.

Cut clove of garlic into small pieces and then crush with a fork until it is like a paste. Then add garlic paste that you made into mixture.

Cut up onions into small pieces. Once again, like the tomatoes, it is better to cut by hand with a knife. Appliances tend to tear onions rather than cut them and some of the onion flavor becomes lost. I put 3-6 for number of onions to use because it is a matter of taste. I use 6 onions, my dad uses 3.

Add onions to mixture.

Chop cilantro in similar fashion. Cilantro gives the salsa that true Mexican taste, and I like cilantro a lot. I tend to only cut up and use the leaves because the stems tend to give the salsa a bitter flavor. Remember, cilantro can be strong, so use discretion. I use about four stems worth (remember, use only the leaves for best results).

If you decide to add the carrot, chop pieces as small as you can get them. Amount varies based on your taste.

Jalepeno can overtake the flavor if not used sparingly, but if you want a little more heat in your salsa, feel free to use the pepper. Note, keep seeds for more heat, eliminate them for less. If I use jalepeno I tend to use a quarter chile per can of ROTEL. I don't use them often, however, because the flavor of the salsa is so good without them.

Salt to taste.

Added notes: pick your ingredients carefully. The quality of the tomatoes play a large part in the flavor of the salsa. And once again, do not refrigerate the tomatoes. They lose flavor when refrigerated.

Okay, now stir it, let it sit twenty minutes, stirring every 5 minutes - then enjoy!

Then, when you are done watching the game, visit me tonight 7:00 PM Pacific on my radio show at BlogTalkRadio.com/PoliticalPistachio.