My Inner Granny: My Go To Salsa Recipe

I'm not sure how long ago I got this recipe from a former co-worker, but I know I've been doing it for what feels like forever. It's my "Go To" Salsa Recipe. The one that I didn't enter into the salsa contest at work, and ended up getting third place with the Strawberry Salsa entry.

BTW, I'm still very proud of the Strawberry stuff, but admittedly, it's not for everyone, especially if you are a traditionalist/non conformist salsa eater.

You want to start out with a bunch of cilantro, 1 quartered up red onion, 1 - 2 jalapenos, 4 - 6 cloves of garlic. Those measurements can change depending on how hot you like your salsa, and how much garlic you like in your salsa.

For today's batch, I went with 1 jalapeno and 6 cloves of garlic. The jalapeno was pretty large, so I didn't feel two were really needed. As for garlic, I can never have too much garlic in my salsa. I love a good garlicky salsa.

Between the heat of the pepper and the umph of the garlic, I'm in Heaven. My nose is running uncontrollably, but I'm in Heaven all the same.

Put all you vegetables in a blender along with one large can of diced or whole tomatoes. I had petite diced today, but it really doesn't matter, it's all gonna be blended up anyway. I would only recommend using crushed tomatoes if you want a slightly thicker salsa with more texture. I like mine to be a little more restaurant style. so I decided not to use crushed today.

I will admit, I never make this recipe the same way. It's really all about what you like. I know I have it on one my first blog posts, but after I got my new camera I wanted to make a new posting on it. The cell phone pictures on the first post just did not look that appetizing.

Blend away!

I'm not a big fan of chunky salsa, so I usually let the blender go for more than just a few pulses.

You will end up with a brownish color after the first round in the blender. You may like this, so after adding some salt and pepper, give it a taste. This may be your stopping point.

But it's not mine.....

I want to make my salsa a little smoother, and give it more of a tomato flavor. If you want it dark, you will get more of the cilantro/pepper flavor, and that's great for people who like a lot of heat, but since I'm making this for others, I have to dilute the heat a little.

Pour the sauce into the blender along with a good helping of fresh ground pepper and a very good helping of salt.

I usually start with 5 shakes of salt. I don't have an exact measurement. I blend it up, give it a taste, and then add a few more shakes if I need it (same with the pepper).

It's all about what your taste is, just be careful about adding too much too soon. It's easier to add than it is to take away.

Give your blender another whirl for a good few seconds.

You will end up with a richer red color vs. a deep brown/red.

One of the things I love to add to my salsa is Avocado. Dice it up and throw it in baby!

1-2 should do.

You can omit the Avocado if you don't like it, but to me it just adds a nice fresh flavor.

I also add hot sauce. You can go with the brand I used today, or whatever kind of Mexican Hot Sauce you have in your refrigerator. There's no wrong choice really.

I added about two tablespoons to today's batch.

After giving it a stir, I also added a little more salt and pepper.