There are recipes here for both Salsas and Pico de Gallo. In
Mexico, any sauce you put on food is called Salsa. If you
are in a restaurant and ask for Salsa, they will most likely
provide you with Ketchup or Salsa picante in a bottle, but it won't
have little chunks of fresh tomato and onion like you get at Mayan Beach Garden and are served at better restaurants.
Pico de Gallo isn't really considered a Salsa, so if you are at a restaurant, don't ask for Salsa if you really want a little Pico de Gallo.
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Habanero
Pico De Gallo
Marinating Habanero and onion in lime juice makes this a perfect condiment
for Mexican food. Using purple onion creates a fabulous pink color that
will leave everyone wondering what is being served. If you don't like
your food "pica" omit the habanero chili and it will have a sweet taste. This is always served with Cochinita Pibil, the pork that is traditionally marinated and slow cooked in banana leaves.
Recipe
by: Mayan Beach Garden
Servings:16
Yield: 2 Cups
Ingredients:
2 Cups Chopped purple Onion -
1 Habanero Chile -- de seeded and chopped
2 Large Limes
Salt To Taste
Directions: Chop
Onions and Habanero. Squeeze the juice of the limes over the onions
and habanero mix. Put in a bowl with a tight lid and shake well.
You can serve it
immediately, but it will be nothing special. Put it in the refrigerator
and every day for at least 2 days shake it well so that the lime juice
totally coats the mixture. After a couple of days, taste for heat and
add additional habanero if desired. Also salt to taste at this time.
After it has marinated for a week, you can add cilantro when you serve is if you like.This salsa
lasts several weeks in the fridge.
Nutrition Per
serving: 10 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (3% calories from
fat); trace Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium
Food Exchanges:
0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other
Carbohydrates
NOTES: When
handling Habaneros, it is wise to use gloves or hold it with a fork
while you cut it, because if you rub your eyes after deseeding them,
your eyes could burn for a long time.
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Pico
de Gallo
Recipe By: Mayan
Beach Garden
Servings: 8
Yield: "1 1/2 cups"
This is the version
of Pico de Gallo that we make and serve the most at Mayan Beach Garden.
We serve it with eggs, rice and beans, soups, tacos, and everything
else at almost every meal.
Ingredients:
2 cups chopped tomato
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon serrano pepper -- seeded and finely chopped
OR
1 Habaneros seeded and finely chopped (used at Mayan Beach Garden)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro or to taste
1 lime (or more if there isn't much juice)
salt and pepper to taste (be generous with the pepper)
Directions:
Chop tomato, onion and serrano pepper; combine in a bowl. Slice the
lime into two halves and squeeze over the mixture. Add chopped cilantro
and stir well. Let sit for 1/2 hour and salt to taste. The lime will
pickle this mixture and it will store in the refrigerator up to a week
but we like it fresh and make it a couple of times a day.
Nutrition Per
serving: 16 Calories (kcal); trace Total Fat; (8% calories from
fat); 1g Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; 0mg Cholesterol; 5mg Sodium
Food Exchanges:
0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 1/2 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other
Carbohydrates
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Avocado, Tomatillo (tomate verde) & Serrano salsa
This beautiful green sauce is served all over the Yucatan peninsula. Sometimes it is made with habaneros and is very hot. This is lovely served with fish tacos, on Chicken or Pork and as a dip for chips or on fajitas. It lasts about three weeks in the refridgerator. (picture below)
Recipe
by: Mayan Beach Garden
Yield: 3-4 Cups
Ingredients:
3 chili Serranos
2 cloves garlic (large) unpeeled
1/4 white onion sliced
4 chile verde (also known as Tomatillos in the US) washed and with paper shell removed - about 2" in diameter
Boiling water
2 avocados peeled and pits removed
Cilantro to taste, chopped loosely
Salt to taste
Juice from one lime (or to taste)
Directions: Place first three items on tinfoil and put the tinfoil on a dry frying pan or directly over a gas flame and char or "Asado" the items. To "Asado" the Serranos, garlic and onions, loosely make a little oven with the tinfoil. You check often and turn the items until they are charred or blackened on all sides but not on the inside. The garlic should give slightly when pressed and the onions and serranos should be soft.
Place the Tomatillos in a pan and cover with boiling water. Boil just until soft and remove the tomatillos with a slotted spoon.
Squeeze out the garlic from the paper outsides and place everything (except the paper outsides of the garlic) into the blender with the remaining ingredients. Blend until creamy. If you like your salsas milder - remove the seeds from the inside of the serranos before the Asado process. If it accidentally turns out too hot - add additional avocado, lime and salt.
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Avocado and tomatillo salsa on the left and Chipotle salsa with tomatillos on the right
Chipotle salsa with Tomatillos
(Tomate Verde)
This sauce is not too hot
and perfect for those who like the taste of Chipotle chilies, but not the heat.
Like it hot? Add more chilies. Use the type of chilies that are in Adobo sauce and purchased in cans in many stores in the US. Tomatillos look like small green tomatoes, but are often sold with a paper like shell on the outside. In Mexico they are called Tomate Verde (Green Tomatoe) while Tomatillos are a tiny version of the Tomate Verde.
Recipe
by: Mayan Beach Garden
Yield: about 2 Cups
Ingredients:
6-8 tomate verde (Tomatillos in the US) (small to medium size - about 2" in diameter) washed and with outside paper shell removed.
2 cloves garlic in paper covering
One 1/2 inch slice of onion
3-4 chipotle chilies with seeds removed.
Salt to taste
Directions: Place first three items on tinfoil and put the tinfoil on a dry frying pan or directly over gas and char or "Asado" the items. To "Asado" the Serranos, garlic and onions, loosely make a little oven with the tinfoil. You check often and turn the items until they are charred or blackened on all sides but not on the inside. The garlic should give slightly when pressed and the onions and Tomatillos should be slightly soft.
Squeeze out the garlic from the paper outsides and toss everything (except the paper outsides of the garlic) into the blender with 3 chipotles. Salt to taste. It is delicious on meats and not too hot. Add water if you want it a little thinner. Its a very thick sauce.
Vary the heat by adding additional chipotles or include the seeds. Keeps well in the refridgerator.
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