Restaurant Style Salsa

I've been making this salsa over and over and over again the last few weeks.  We've just been plowing through it. 

Ridiculously fast to make if you need something for guests or a party or late night munchies, which is generally our case.  I'm having a hard time deciding if I like this salsa more?  Or pico de gallo more?  I think I must like them equally for different reasons.

I'm not sure why I didn't take better pictures of any of the batches I made.  All I did was take a quick pick in a plastic storage container.  We fancy.  Next batch (which won't be long) I'll try for some better pics.

Here's a band from my home state, Illinois - Blue Meanies with "The Infidelity Song".  -jen

 

RESTAURANT STYLE SALSA
Time: 5 minutes

Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  4 cups
Need:  Food processor or blender

• 2 cans (14oz each) diced tomatoes, drained
• 1/2 onion, rough chopped
• 1 jalapeño, rough chopped*
• 5 medium-sized garlic cloves
• 1/2 cup packed cilantro
• juice of 1 lime (about 1-1.5 tbsp)
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

*For a medium spicy salsa, leave seeds in.  For a mild salsa, remove seeds.  For a hot salsa, add a second jalapeño.

No Cook Version:  Place all ingredients in a food processor or blender and pulse until desired consistency.

Cooked Version:  I prefer to actually cook the canned tomatoes in a sauce pan over a medium-high heat for about 15-20 minutes, then let them cool about 10 minutes before placing in a food processor or blender with all the other ingredients and pulsing until desired consistency.  Cooking them takes away some of the "tinny" taste from the can.  I've made it both ways and they're both good!  This is just my preference.

Chorizo and Jalapeño Deviled Eggs

These Chorizo and Jalapeño Deviled Eggs came out so freaking good!  Generally, I'm not even a hard boiled egg fan, but I really wanted to dye eggs during the Giant Purple Bunny holiday, and since I don't have kids I can use an excuse, I had to use cooking as my excuse.  We'd had a lot of Mexican food on the menu, so I was in that mindset and I really thought that chorizo and jalapeño deviled eggs was a completely original idea... but it wasn't.  I see there are other recipes out there.  However, I didn't even look at them because I didn't want my idea to be tainted by what they did!  (Mmm, tainted eggs.)  And in the end, these eggs were fantastic!!!  I just ate a leftover one this morning while typing up this recipe and they're one of those foods that's even better the next day.

I'd just like to note that I had to go to four different stores on Easter Sunday in order to find an egg dying kit.  Either the people were there at 7:00am to wipe out the store for candy, or the stores had already wiped out their own holiday displays to make way for summer barbecue crap!  We put some time, energy and gasoline into these eggs, man!

I heard the holiday was about dead people rising, so Strung Out's "Exhumation of Virginia Madison" seemed to fit the bill for tunes!  -jen

CHORIZO AND JALAPEÑO DEVILED EGGS
Time:  20-25 minutes
Difficulty:  Easy
Makes:  12 deviled eggs

• 6 hard boiled eggs (see how-to below)
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon sour cream (optional)
• 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon lime juice
• 1/4 cup cooked Spanish-style (chunky) chorizo, minced
• 2 tablespoons green onion, minced
• 2 tablespoons pickled jalapeños, minced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, minced
• salt and pepper to taste

Peel eggs and slice in half length-wise.  Gently scoop out the yolks and place into a small bowl.  Use a fork to break apart the cooked yolks and mash them.  Add mayonnaise, sour cream, yellow mustard and lime juice - mix until smooth and combined.  Stir in chorizo, green onion, jalapeño, and cilantro.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  (Some chorizo is more salty than others, that's why you have to taste it before you add salt!)

Evenly distribute the filling back into the egg whites using a spoon or piping bag.  (I just used a quart-size zip bag like a piping bag, cutting off the corner.)  Serve immediately or keep refrigerated.

How to Hard Boil Eggs:
Place eggs in single layer in a sauce pan or stock pot.  Cover with 1" of cold water.  Bring to a boil.  Then cover and remove from heat and set aside for 8 minutes.  Drain and cool in very cold water/ice water.  Hard boiled eggs can last for a week refrigerated if their peel is left on.