Mango Salsa

Mango Salsa

Saturday, December 10, 2011

How To Pick A Ripe Mango

Now that you are ready to try some mango salsa, you may be wondering how to pick a ripe mango. You can usually tell by smelling and squeezing.

Want to use that mango today?

Then the nose knows.

With a ripe mango you will notice a sweet tropical aroma coming from the stem end. Upon squeezing, the fruit will yield to slight pressure, somewhat like an avocado. Ripe mangos are usually yellow/orange in color. If you are not going to use the mango for a few days, look for a firmer mango with a tight skin.

Storing Tips

After you bring your mangos home from the store, you can ripen them right on your kitchen counter just keep them out of the sun.

An unripe mango will not ripen in the refrigerator. If you need them in a hurry, put them in a paper bag with an apple which will speed up the ripening process. Once ripe you can store them in the refrigerator.

Easiest Way to Cut Up A Mango

First slice a small piece from each end. Then use a potato peeler and make long slow strokes. This peels off just the right amount of skin and makes removing it a breeze.

Here is the first of our mange salsa recipes:

Tropical Mango Salsa

Ingredients:

2 ripe mangos,peeled, chopped to 1/2 inch cubes
1 cup jicama, peeled and chopped to 1/4 inch chunks
1 tomato chopped to 1/2 inch pieces
1 yellow or red bell pepper, diced
small handful of cilantro, washed and chopped
2 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
juice from 1 lime
4 shallots, finely chopped


Directions:
Add all of the above to a medium sized bowl and mix with a spoon. Chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour before serving.

Whip up some margaritas and serve your Tropical mango salsa recipes with my favorite organic white corn chips from Trader Joe's and you've got the beginnings of a Mexican fiesta.

Finish off with some guacamole, chicken enchiladas and frijoles for dinner and flan for dessert. Ole!

Fresh mango salsa is also great with fish or chicken too.

Makes about 5 cups. Enough for that party!

Here is the second of my mango salsa recipes you are sure to enjoy. The addition of avocado adds a creamy delectable flavor that goes well with mango. Compliments of Great-Salsa.com

Mango Avocado Salsa

Ingredients for Avocado Mango Salsa Recipes

1 large mango, peeled, diced
3 tablespoon red onion, minced
3 tablespoons diced green pepper
3 tablespoons diced red pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tsp. minced fresh chives
1/2 large avocado, diced
Directions for Avocado Salsa Recipe
Mix all ingredients except avocado in large bowl.

Add avocado to salsa and stir gently to combine.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Pineapple Orange Salsa Recipe

Pineapple Orange Salsa Recipe

1 can 20 oz. crushed pineapple in own juice, drained
1 can 11 oz. mandarin oranges in light syrup, drained and cut into small chunks
1 tomato, sliced 1/4 inch chunks
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped 1/4 inch chunks
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 or 2 jalapeno, seeded, minced
5 or 6 sprigs of cilantro
juice from one lime
Mix all the ingredients in a bowl and serve with chips.

Remember to wash your hands after handling the jalapeno peppers.

Shrimp Salsa

Shrimp Salsa

Shrimp Salsa

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup diced red or yellow bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
6 - 8 oz. cooked baby shrimp
1/3 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and chopped
1 cup canned corn, drained, sauteed in olive oil
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 avocado, cut into small chunks
1 Tbs fresh lime juice
2/3 cup chipotle roasted salsa, or more to taste. Some like it hot!
1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped
salt to taste
Directions:
Drain the water from the can of corn. Preheat the olive oil in a fry pan over medium high heat. Add the corn and saute until corn looks roasted with brown spots. About 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.

Chop the tomato, bell pepper, garlic, onion, cucumber, and cilantro leaves and add to a bowl.

Add the chipotle salsa, shrimp, lime juice and salt and mix well. Add the corn when cool and the avocado. Mix gently.

Now is the time to taste it to see if you need to add more salt or chipotle salsa. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Makes approximately 3 cups.

Shrimp salsa can be served with quesadillas, tacos, fajitas or just by itself with chips.

This is the perfect Mexican appetizer. It goes great with Mexican food or even on top of a green salad --very versatile.

I know you will enjoy this south-of-the border delight.

Basic Salsa

Basic Salsa

Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
1/2 medium yellow or red onion, finely chopped
1Tbs olive oil
2 medium carrots
3 cloves garlic
juice from one lime
2 tsp. olive oil
1 4oz. can diced Chile Ortega
1 tsp. sugar (optional)
1 or 2 jalapeno, de veined and seeded, finely chopped
6 sprigs of cilantro, chopped

Directions:
Saute the finely chopped onion in the 1 Tbs. olive oil for 20 minutes until golden brown. You can omit this step if you like your onions raw. I happen to like mine cooked and sweetened some by the cooking process.

When you are done cooking the onions add the finely chopped garlic to the onion and saute for one minute more. Remove onion/garlic mixture to a bowl.

Slice and chop tomatoes into 1/2 inch size chunks. Ideally you want all of your ingredients about the same size.

Cook the carrots in boiling water for 2 minutes. You want the carrots to have a crunch so don't overcook them. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cool them off. Chop the carrots into 1/4 inch chunks.

Cut off the stem and slice the jalapeno length wise and then chop very fine.

Remember, you can get as creative as you like with our basic mexican salsa recipes and add all kinds of different vegetables and fruits.

Here are some ingredients you can add to salsa:

corn
black beans
avocado
mango
lime juice
cream cheese
sliced almonds
sour cream
peaches
pineapple
watermelon
cooked sweet potatoes

A Few Tips On Making Salsa


It's a good idea to try and chop everything about the same size when making salsa and to chill it for an hour or two before serving.

Fruit salsa doesn't hold up as well as an all-vegetable salsa and should be eaten in one day.

Grilling some of the ingredients, such as the tomatoes, onions and peppers, can add a wonderfully different flavor to the taste of your Mexican salsa recipes. So don't hesitate to try this. Experiment and have fun!

Pinto Refried Beans & Cilantro Rice

Pinto Refried Beans & Cilantro Rice

Pinto Bean Recipes For Refried Beans

2 cups pinto beans
2/3 to 3/4 cup vegetable oil
1 bulb of roasted garlic, approximately 6 or 7 cloves
2 - 3 tsp seasalt, depending on how much salt you like
1 bay leaf
1 finely chopped tomato, vine ripened or home grown
4 quart pot


Directions:
First pour your beans out on a table or cutting board. Sort through them and discard any rocks or shriveled beans. This shouldn't take but a couple of minutes to do.

Put the beans in a colander and rinse them under cold water. Pour the beans into a pot.

Add 8 cups of cold water and the bay leaf.

Put the stove burner on high and cover partially with a lid. As soon as the beans start to boil, lower the heat a little but still continue to boil. Cook for 2 hours and keep adding water as it cooks away.

Stir occasionally. Keep the water level at 2 inches above the beans.

A Helpful Hint

I heard this tip from a friend of mine. Her mother does this when she prepares pinto bean recipes.
Keep some water heated on the stove in a kettle or pan. Then when you need to add water to your beans, you have hot water available. Adding cold water will slow down the cooking process while you wait for the beans to boil again.

After two hours of cooking, the beans should be soft and darker brown in color. If not cook them another 20 to 30 minutes. Then add the oil, salt, tomatoe, and roasted garlic.

You can slide the roasted garlic out of it's sleeve in the bulb, right into the beans.

Important:

Do not add salt before the two hours of cooking or your beans will never soften up.

After adding the salt etc. bring the beans to a boil again and lower the heat to low. You want to cook them on a slow boil for an additional 1 to 1 1/2 hours. You will need to stir them occasionally to keep them from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

A Little Secret To Great Flavor

To get the best flavor, simmer your beans 1- 1 1/2 hour or as long as you can with all the spices and oil. The longer these pinto bean recipes simmer, the better they will taste.

After 1 to 1 1/2 hours, it seems like all the beans want to do is stick to the pot. This is the point where you turn off the heat, remove the bay leaf, and mash them with a potato masher.

You have just completed one of the best pinto bean recipes around. Enjoy.

Making refried beans from our pinto bean recipes will be delicous served with spanish rice, enchiladas or even by themselves topped with grated mild cheddar cheese.

Try serving refried beans topped with grated cheese and tortillas for a great after school snack for your kids. They'll love it.

Our pinto bean recipes hold up very well and will last several days in the refrigerator.

Cilantro Lime Rice Recipe serves 4

1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup basmati rice
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
zest from one lime
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tsp. salt
Directions:
Add the oil to a sauce pan and heat on low. Add the garlic and rice to the oil and saute for 2 minutes on medium heat stirring frequently.

Add the chicken broth, salt, lime juice and bring to a boil. Cover and cook on low for 15 minutes or according to rice package directions.

When the rice is done, add lime zest and chopped cilantro and stir to mix in. Serve immediately.

If you are using regular long grain rice, follow the cooking directions on the box regarding the amount of liquid to use and the cooking time.

Chicken Burrito Recipe

Chicken Burrito Recipe

Serves 4 to 6

Ingredients:

• 2 lbs of chicken, chicken breast and/or chicken thighs
• 4 cups of chicken broth
• 2 cups water
• 1 tap. ground cumin
• 1/2 yellow onion, rough chopped
• 1 large or 2 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 can (4oz.) green chiles
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14 oz.) diced tomatoes
• 1/2 tap salt

Burrioto Ingredients:

• 6 flour tortillas
• refried beans
• cilantro lime rice
• shredded lettuce
• sour cream
• guacamole or sliced avocado
• salsa
• shredded cheese, mild cheddar, or mexican blend will do

Directions:

Place all the chicken in a pot and cover with the chicken broth and water. Add the cumin and chopped onion. Bring to a boil, partially cover and then lower the heat to simmer for about 1 hour. Test for doneness. Pull the chicken out and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, grab a nice big fry pan and add a tbsp. of olive oil. Saute the minced onion for 20 good minutes. A little longer is probably better. Stir these frequently over medium heat and then lower the heat to low.

We want these onions to cook down and turn a beautiful golden color. This is when the flavor comes out. Then add the minced garlic and and cook an additional 5 minutes.

Notice the big smile on your face. This smells good.

Now add the green chiles, diced tomatoes, chile powder and the salt. Stir well to heat through.

Turn the heat off and let this onion mixture cool a bit. In the mean time grab a couple of forks and shred the chicken and remove and bones.

Back to the onion mixture where are the delicious flavor is. Place this mixture in a food processor and blend till it's pretty smooth.

I have an immersion blender so I use that placing my mixture in a deep bowl. This tool can make quite a splatter if you aren't careful.

Once the onion mixture is smooth, place it back into a pan and add the shredded chicken and stir to combine. Heat over medium heat until piping hot.

Assembling The Burritos

Start with your rice, beans and chicken nice and hot. Heat a flour tortilla on a dry comal, or a big dry frying pan on the stove. You can also heat them in the microwave in a "Tortilla Oven". Always heat your tortilla first so that they pliable and easy to fold.
Place a spoonful (large) of beans first down the center of the tortilla. Then add a spoonful of rice and then chicken. Then sprinkle some cheese, lettuce, sour cream, guacamole and/or anything else you like. Fold one end in and then roll the burrito over.

The art of making the perfect chicken burrito recipe stipulates that you spread your ingredients, what ever they may be, evenly across the entire tortilla. This way you get all the ingredients in every bite.

Leave a couple inches at each end so the good stuff doesn't ooze out and you can fold and roll it properly.

Changes I did to the recipe.

- Boiled chicken in chicken broth with onions.
- Added cumin powder and little bit of red chilli powder to the onion/tomato saute'.