My sister and I were challenging each other one day for things we could make in our magic bullets besides healthy shakes. lol! Typical.
She had an awesome idea to use hers for whipped cream! How clever is she?? I loved that idea and we have since made it that way many times for desserts and waffles for the kids. (Seriously! a cup of heavy cream, a tsp of sugar and off ya go!)
But my all time favorites are for blending up my sous vide Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauces and yes, of course, my absolute favorite of them all. Drum roll, please... Fresh Mexican Tomato Salsa!
The kids in our family have grown up eating fresh Mexican salsa and spicy food since they first started eating table food. All of them have grown up making salsas in a blender since they were 6 or 7 years old. But wanting to test the multi-functionality of my new Magic Bullet that I got for Christmas, I decided that a run at making fresh salsa was in order.
Oh heck yea! Talk about super fast and easy! My bullet came with two storage lids with drink spouts making cleanup and refrigerator storage a breeze. Very convenient if you just want just a dollop or two on a quesadilla or want to pour just a little bit into a condiment bowl. Put the drink lid on, wash the blade and you're done!
I like my fresh salsa more like a hot sauce and less chunky than a Pace-style, which most Americans are familiar with but as I have mentioned before, most of these store bought tomato based sauces are cooked. I prefer fresh tomatoes when I have them. In a pinch and in the winter sometimes, though, I have been known to substitute canned tomatoes when I don't have any fresh tomatoes at hand.
I almost always have these ingredients on hand. Because it is so fast and easy to make, I never run out of fresh salsa. It's my all time favorite condiment and shares permanent residency in my fridge along with mustard, mayo, pickles and ketchup.
Go-To Magic Bullet/Blender Salsa:
- Small can of La Costena Jalapenos in Escabeche (that just means carrots and onions, people! Delicious!) about 2-3 jalapenos per batch of salsa
- 2 beefsteak tomatoes cut into quarters
- Half a large white, red or yellow onion
- Fresh cilantro, if you like it
- Salt, to taste
Prep:
This isn't fancy. Everything in the pool. Blend until smooth or well combined to your liking. Salt it after it is blended so you don't overdo it. That's it. Serve it with chips, quesadillas, eggs, anything you like.
My secret ingredient has always been the canned pickled jalapenos. I love the flavor they impart and there was a time when fresh jalapenos were not readily available year round. That's changed quite a bit as most grocery stores carry them now year round and as you probably know, I grow them and live in Florida where they are at every grocery store and farmer's market.
Even so, I still prefer to use the canned version when making salsa as they provide the acidic component I like and I also adore the pickled carrots. You can buy the smallest can, but I buy a large can and store the unused jalapenos in the fridge for the next batch. I like it that much...
I use 2-3 of the canned jalapenos and throw in some of the onions and carrots. This gives enough acid but if I need more, I either add more jalapenos or a little of the pickling juice. Salsa is really all about the flavors you love so everything you add is to your tastes.
If you opt for fresh jalapenos. add the juice of fresh lime to your salsa to balance out the flavors. Mexican salsa doesn't usually have garlic but of course, if you want it, add it. I love garlic, but for authentic salsa, I go without.
If you like real heat, you can substitute just about any fresh chili in your salsa. Habaneros, Carolina Reapers, Scorpions, Serranos, Tabascos, whatever. I love love love hot chilis, and so I will use whatever I have on hand to kick up the heat.
- Smoked Roasted Red Jalapenos (or sub canned Chipotles)
- One red onion, quartered
- 2-3 cloves of roasted garlic
- Honey
- Salt, to taste
This one is a real winner and can be very addictive. We do enough grilling at my house that cooking up a batch of smoked roasted red jalapenos is no big thing. But, red jalapenos are not always in season, so when they are, this is a special version I love to make. And by the way, if you did not know, that's all a can of chipotle is! A smoked and roasted red jalapeno in adobo (tomato-based) sauce! It's freaking delicious if you've never tried it because you didn't know what it was...
Prep:
I load up fresh red jalapenos, garlic and the quartered onion in a large piece of tin foil and place these on the smoker when we are smoking meat. Since we smoke meat far from any flames, there is usually enough room to place the jalapenos on a rack just below the smoking meat.
This allows the chilis to smoke and the meat drippings to drip on the peppers which add an even deeper flavor. If you don't like meat, that's ok, too. Just smoke these over a low heat with your other veggies or fruit. (And yes, smoked fruit like pears is amazing!!)
Let the jalapenos smoke enough to char a little but not so long that they get crispy and dry out. You still want the flesh to be meaty. When in doubt, an hour may do, so use that as a gage.
Put everything in a blender, removing only the stems. Drizzle a little honey, about a tablespoon is enough. If the blender is struggling, add a couple of tablespoons of water to loosen it enough to blend. A small food processor will also work nicely.
We serve this with smoked meat and on sandwiches. It is so delicious, it never lasts long and will keep nicely in the fridge for a couple of weeks if stored in an airtight jar or container with a lid.
Salsa Verde (Tomatillo Green Salsa):
- 1 lb of fresh tomatillos, outter husks removed and halved or quartered
- 1 large yellow or white onion, quartered
- 4-6 cloves of garlic peeled
- 4-6 fresh jalapenos, halved and stems removed. Use more or less to your heat level
- Bacon grease or pork lard, if you have it
- Fresh cilantro
- Half an onion, diced
Prep:
This is another super easy salsa with the distinction that this one is cooked.
Start with a couple of tablespoons of bacon grease or pork fat over medium to low heat and render that down. Next, add your onions, garlic, jalapenos and tomatillos.
You don't need to fuss with the cooking. I simply cover the pot with a lid and let it steam and cook down for about 20 minute to a half hour. If the pot seems too hot on medium, turn it down to simmer until the tomatillos are tender and collapse when you press with the back of a spoon or utensil.
Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Put everything in a blender and pulse until all ingredients are well blended and smooth. I also have a stone mortal and pestle, so sometimes, I will use this to blend the ingredients.
At this point, I love to add fresh chopped salsa and diced onions, but again, that is a taste preference and textural element I love.
If roasting, put on 375 F checking every 15 minutes. It's ok to have them blacken quite a bit. If I will be in the kitchen, I will use the broiler but you must keep an eye on it! It goes very fast under the broiler. Same is true on the grill or smoker.
Either way, the flavor of green salsa is quite different, but lovely and you will have to experiment to see which method of cooking it you prefer.
*** Another lovely variation: add fresh avocado to the finished ingredients and blend or pulse until smooth and incorporated. They make this version in Texas where I'm from and I really love this special version of green salsa.
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