Tuesday Dinners

It might sound stupid but in my family group chats there’s the normal questions about get togethers: Where are we going? What are we having? What should I bring?
But in my family we also have the question: Who’s making the salsa?

I’ll share both recipes and you can decide.

Restaurant Quality Salsa

Shoutout to Tony’s

⏲️ Prep Time
2 Minutes

⏲️ Cook Time
1 Minute

🍴 Makes
5 cups

Ingredients

  • 28 ounce can of whole, peeled tomatoes
  • 1/4 of a white or yellow onion
  • 1-2 jalapenos
  • 3/4 tablespoon garlic powder
  • 1-2 teaspoon cumin
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1/2 bundle of cilantro tops (the leaves)

Directions

  1. Remove stems from jalapenos, quarter onion, open can
  2. Throw everything into a blender
  3. Blend until smooth

Step By Step Directions

This is by far the simpler recipe. Remove the stems from your jalapenos, tear off the tops of the cilantro, slice up the quarter of onion and get your spices handy.

Throw it all into a blender and blend until smooth. Of the two salsas this one also benefits more from storing as the garlic has time to permeate the salsa. Guaranteed to be a hit at parties.

Enjoy.

The above recipe is old reliable, I’ve never had a subpar batch.

The below recipe I [personally] like better, but the quality can vary a lot based on how fresh the ingredients are and what season you happen to find yourself in. Higher highs and lower lows.

Fresh Salsa

A recipe as good as it’s ingredients.

⏲️ Prep Time
5 minutes

⏲️ Cook Time
1 minute

🍴 Makes
7 cups

Ingredients

  • 6-8 Roma tomatoes
  • 1-2 jalapenos
  • One medium white or red onion
  • 15 ounce can of diced tomatoes (drained of liquid)
  • 2 teaspoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon cumin
  • 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • Pinch of salt
  • 1/2 bundle of cilantro tops (the leaves)

Directions

  1. Drain your tomatoes, remove stems from your jalapenos, tear your cilantro, cut up your Romas and onion so they can be blended, add your lime juice and spices
  2. Throw everything into a blender
  3. Blend until smooth

Step by Step Directions

Cut the ends off the tomatoes, drain the canned tomatoes, tear the cilantro, measure out your spices, cut the onion and throw everything into the blender.

You’ll want to do a little bit of prep work otherwise your blender might not be able to blend. You shouldn’t have to do too much chopping, just give it a head start.

Blend until smooth.

I once brought this salsa to a party and had multiple drunk frat boys claim to girls they were trying to pick up that they had made this salsa and that they knew how to cook because of it (like four different guys over the course of two hours). Don’t know if it actually worked, but it sounds like they liked it.

Enjoy.

Variations

  • Go crazy with your peppers, if you want it to be super spicy that’s up to you (or remove them entirely).
  • Change up the tomatoes, use canned, or fresh, it’s up to you.
  • Don’t include the cilantro if you’re one of those poor souls where it tastes like soap.

Unsolicited Feedback

  • FB: Yeah… salsas not that hard to make, but I thought it was a good jumping off point. And it’s easy to bring to a party so I thought why not share the love? Do you girls like a guy that can cook?
  • SA: Why didn’t you bring the salsa I normally make?
  • SB: Your uncle makes a much better salsa than you do.