Super Salsa

I made this salsa to add to Monica's chili recipe... and as a result I'm 100% sure that 1) I'm never going to buy salsa again, and 2) whenever I make chili in the future, I will be adding this salsa to it. Both the salsa and the chili came out amazing! I'm definitely going to put up some of this salsa so it's on hand and ready to go.

Some notes about this salsa: it's got some heat and some tang to it... but isn't that what makes a salsa great?! Depending on what you're in the mood for, though, you can simply add more or less of whatever ingredient... just remember that with fresh chile peppers, the flavors do intensify a bit, especially in a cooked salsa like this one. (Salsa cruda, also called pico de gallo or salsa fresca, is a different animal in that you don't cook the salsa... I made a cooked salsa for Monica's chili recipe because I wanted the added sweetness and added depth of flavor to mellow out the heat from the chile peppers.)

I will definitely be experimenting with this recipe by trying other types of green chiles, and by adding corn, beans or other veggies...

Makes 3-4 cups of salsa

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs Roma tomatoes, blanched and chopped (You can use canned diced tomatoes)
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and diced
• 2 sweet bell peppers (I used 1 orange and 1 red), seeded and diced
• 2 green chilies (I used Anaheim chilies), seeded and diced
• 1 onion, chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup roughly chopped parsley or cilantro (I used parsley since Mr. D is not a cilantro fan)
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
• juice of 2+ limes
• salt and pepper

Directions:

1. If you are using fresh tomatoes, blanching them removes the skin, which I prefer when cooking them, otherwise the skins come off and there are loose bits of tomato skin everywhere. (To blanch: boil a pot of water, remove any stems and cut a shallow "x" onto the bottom of the tomatoes, prepare a bowl with ice water, place tomatoes into the boiling water until the skin starts to split, remove and place the tomatoes in the bowl of ice water for a few seconds, and then, finally, the tomato skin should slide right off.) Then chop up the tomatoes.
2. Heat a large pan, add the tomatoes and about 1/2 cup of water. Cook tomatoes on med-high to soften, stirring occasionally. Use a masher or large spoon to break up the tomatoes a little bit so it looks like a very chunky sauce... this is the base for your salsa. Remove the tomatoes to a bowl.
3. Wipe out the pan and heat the oil, add onions and saute 2 minutes (turning down the heat to med-low), add all the peppers and saute 4 minutes, and then add garlic and saute 2 minutes. Cooking time may vary, but the goal is to soften these ingredients and bring out the flavors without cooking them through or letting them brown.
4. Add the tomatoes back into the pan with the pepper/onion mixture. Stir together and cook 2 more minutes.
5. Add the parsley, chili powder and lime juice, stir and cook for another minute or two. Add salt and pepper to taste.
6. Remove from the heat and cool.

Baked Potato Soup

Today I decided to post the baked potato soup recipe I made for my sister's cyber baby shower! It's very filling and delicious and I think I'm going to make it again for some of our dinners next week! I got the recipe from allrecipes, but I changed it so I wouldn't have to worry about buying bacon and having it go bad (this recipe calls for only 3 strips of bacon). If you eat bacon on a regular basis, you should make it with real bacon. I find that it didn't affect the taste too much to just cook the onion in oil and add bacon bits at the end.

INGREDIENTS (4 servings)

2 large potatoes
1 tbsp oil
1 small onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 tablespoons corn starch
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon pepper
3 cups chicken broth
1 cup half-and-half cream
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Shredded Cheddar cheese
Bacon bits

1. Bake the potatoes in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for an hour. Let them cool, then peel and cube (about 1 inch pieces). I bake the potatoes ahead of time. When I peel them, I try to only remove the peel, but leave the part close to the skin that gets browned as they are baking. It gives it a nicer flavor.
2. Saute onion and garlic in oil over medium heat until tender. Stir in salt, basil and pepper. Mix well. Gradually add chicken broth, mix and bring to a boil, then boil for 2 minutes.
3. Add the corn starch according to package instructions.
4. Add the potatoes, half-and-half and hot sauce. Stir and heat through but don't boil. Garnish with shredded cheddar cheese and bacon bits.

CHILI

Hi everyone,

Today I will be sharing the best chili recipe that I've ever made!

INGREDIENTS (4-6 servings)

* 1 lb ground beef
* 1/4 onion, chopped
* 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
* 1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
* 1 1/4 cups tomato sauce (I use a can)
* 1/2 jar salsa
* 2 tablespoons chili seasoning
* 1 (15 ounce) can light red kidney beans 1 can

* shredded cheddar cheese
* sour cream
* (brown) rice

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the ground beef and the onion and saute for 10 minutes, or until meat is browned and onion is tender. Drain grease, if desired.
2. Add the ground black pepper, garlic salt, tomato sauce, salsa, chili seasoning mix and kidney beans. Mix well, reduce heat to low and simmer for at least an hour.
3. Serve with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and brown rice.