PICO DE GALLO
My number one FAVORITE RECIPE of 2009 was for this simple pico de gallo. It changed my life. Really.
We’ve easily doubled the use of our rice and beans, and because those dry ingredients are already on hand and in my home as part of our long-term food storage, we’re saving money every time we serve this meal.
Big thanks go to Kris for sharing the recipe last Spring. All summer long we enjoyed our home grown ‘maters’ garnishing rice and bean taco salads. When the change in seasons forced me back to buying the not-so-sweet-little-nothings sold at the grocery store, I decided to experiment with substituting petite-cut canned tomatoes. As the family tasted the food storage friendly salsa Lizzie asked, “Is this the salsa from the Rio Grande restaurant?”
Close enough!
Fresh Ingredients
8-10 Roma tomatoes, diced or substitute with 2 cans, petite-cut tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz. each can)
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
1/2 cup green onion, sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Storage Ingredients
2 cans petite-cut tomatoes (1 lb. 12 oz. each can) substituted for fresh tomatoes
1 teaspoon vinegar
1 tablespoon salt
Mix all the ingredients and chill for an hour or two. So good! And because I’ve been preparing this recipe again and again, for a year, I’ve also discovered that it freezes well.
Sort of like raspberry freezer jam…but different. The point is, IT’S ALL GOOD, and I hope you’ll love it as much as we do.
January 15th, 2010 at 4:09 pm
I have canned tomatoes and I’m excited to try this!
January 16th, 2010 at 12:55 am
Do it Heather!
January 16th, 2010 at 9:33 am
Oh my gosh! This is almost the same recipe as the stuff I make! I used coupons to gather up a huge stash of muir glen organic tomatoes, and now I spend my time figuring out how to use them all. I take the fire roasted ones and put them in my food chopper with some raw onion, fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic, salt and some (fresh if I have it, canned if I don’t) jalapeno. Whir on low (my food chopper actually reverses back and forth every 3 seconds). Taste and adjust if needed, then get out of the way, because everybody likes it!
Food storage minds must think alike!
January 16th, 2010 at 1:02 pm
Laura, I have food chopper envy! Your fresh, from canned, salsa sounds great. (You’re aware of what usually happens when I start tossing ingredients together…)
I’ll try to get my SIL to share his recipe for the fresh Brazilian limeade.
January 19th, 2010 at 10:11 am
Good morning Liesa,
Can you please tell me what the salsa is like after it has been frozen? I am sure it must be just fine but I have nightmares of tomato mush. Bottled, maybe, but frozen?
I will chant this to myself; I will try frozen salsa because you have NEVER led me wrong.
Love ya!!
I almost forgot, here is the recipe for the Black Bean Soup. Your SIL may have one similar to it.
This is from the web site “Our Best Bites”.
1 Tb olive oil
4 large cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup diced carrots (about 2 medium)
3/4 cup diced celery (about 2 ribs)
1 cup diced onion (about 1 med. onion)
2 cans black beans, rinsed and drained (for this I used my food storage ones that I had soaked and cooked)
1 small can green chilies (diced or whole)
2 cans beef broth
1 tsp salt
1 dash pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp dry oregano leaves
1 bay leaf
1 big lime, juiced (the juice is used at the end of the process)
Toppings: sour cream, tortilla chips, grated cheese
Add olive oil to a large stock pot on med-high heat. Saute carrots, celery, onion and garlic about 4-5 minutes.
Add in the black beans, chilies and beef broth. Stir to combine and then add the salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, oregano and bay leaf.
Simmer uncovered for about 20-25 minutes or until carrots are soft.
Remove from heat. Take out the bay leaf.
Place all the soup in a blender. (you can use an immersion blender instead). Place lid on blender, but remove the stopper (the clear little lid part) and place a paper towel over the hole to avoid getting soup all over the place.
Puree soup until completely smooth. This may take several minutes. Return soup to pan and make sure it’s heated through. Squeeze in the juice from one big lime.
Ladle into bowls and top with grated cheese, sour cream and tortilla chips. Serve with extra lime wedges.
*to see this recipe in full, go to http://www.ourbestbites.com
Enjoy!!!!!
January 19th, 2010 at 11:12 am
Wooooow Kris. This is huge. Thanks for the help. This will be the very next soup recipe I try.
Don’t worry about the frozen pico. Next time you make a batch just freeze a half a cup and see for yourself. It doesn’t turn to mush and the flavor is good. Fresh is best of course, but freezing it really doesn work!