Everything But the Kitchen Sink Salsa

My lucky-duck husband is in Washington D.C. this week for work.  Jealous!

I guess I can’t complain since I am leaving him (in 18 days!!!)  to go to Europe for two weeks.

So, we have a lot of missing each other coming in the next month, but I do think distance makes the heart grow stronger.  Plus, everyone needs a little break once in a while.  It’s nice to not worry about taking care of someone else or having them take care of you for a few days.  It’s rare to have time all by yourself and I try to take advantage of every minute.

I do this by watching Sex and the City reruns, sleeping with my puppy, staying up late (*gasp* until 10:30), and eating chips and salsa for dinner.

No worries.  This healthy salsa is chock full of all sorts of fruits and veggies making it an acceptable meal replacement if you ask me.

You might not want to make a meal of salsa like me, but it would make a great addition to a Cinco de Mayo spread or a summer picnic.

Makes a large bowl (could definitely feed 8 people)

Note:  The idea for this recipe was inspired by a family friend.  Look at all those ingredients!  I thought about calling this “Eat the Rainbow Salsa”, but couldn’t stop thinking of Skittles.  The recipe is very “loose” in that you can be very liberal with the proportions.  For example, if you really like mango, you can add more.  If not, add less (this goes for all the ingredients).  I really recommend the Red Quinoa and Flaxseed Tortilla Chips (pictured above) from Central Market, if you live in Texas.  This would also be great with grilled chicken, fish, or shrimp.

1 large mango, peeled and diced

1/2 a red onion, diced

6 strawberries, stems removed, diced

3 kiwi, peeled and diced

3 roma tomatoes, seeded and diced

1/2 a bell pepper (preferably orange), seeded and diced

2 tablespoons jalepeno, seeded and minced fine (optional)

Small pinch of salt

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped

The juice from 2 limes (use more or less depending on your preference)

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and serve.  Can be stored in refrigerator for three days.

Apple Cabbage Slaw

It’s almost that time.  Picnic time.  BBQ time.  Summer party time.

Well that is if you don’t live in Texas.  Specifically hot, humid (seriously anyone, anywhere north of Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, and Mississippi, really should just keep their mouth shut about “humidity”), mosquito ridden  Houston.

Though our picnicking days are severely limited, we can still have BBQ’s, but the poor soul in charge of manning the grill is left outside alone, while everyone else drinks up the air conditioning inside.

And every BBQ must have coleslaw.

Maybe because it’s a distant cousin to the pickle, but coleslaw definitely ranks as my favorite picnic/BBQ/party side dish.  Classic creamy coleslaw never disappoints, but this versatile dish can boast Asian flavors, can be tangy, sweet, as wells as other fruits and vegetables.

I recently discovered this tangy apple variety at an (indoor) dinner party/neighborhood potluck of sorts.  Yum!  Apples + cabbage = a match made in coleslaw heaven! If you ask me, this is one of the easiest ways to get your daily dose of veggies.

Serves 8

From Cook’s Country Magazine

Note:  This makes a lot of slaw, but is would be super easy to cut in half!

1 medium head of green cabbage, cored and chopped fine

2 teaspoons salt

2 Granny Smith apples, cored and cut into thin matchsticks

2 scallions, sliced thin

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup sugar

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/4 teaspoons red pepper flakes

Toss cabbage and salt in colander set over medium bowl. Let stand until wilted, about 1 hour. Rinse cabbage under cold water, drain, dry well with paper towels, and transfer to large bowl. Add apples and scallions and toss to combine.

Bring oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard, and pepper flakes to boil in saucepan over medium heat. Pour over cabbage mixture and toss to coat. Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 1 day. Serve.

Bread and Butter Pickles

Let’s get straight to it:  pickles rock my world.  I love their crunch, their tang, their saltiness, and the punch of spice and flavor they add to the dishes they accompany.

Fried dill pickles make me swoon, I can’t eat a burger without a plump and crunchy pickle spear, and a cuban sandwich just wouldn’t work with out a layer of pickles.

My pickle lovin’ isn’t limited to just the cucumber variety either.  I can’t get enough of anything topped with pickled jalapeños, pepperoncini peppers piled on salads, pickled carrots and onions with Mexican food, and a mountain of sauerkraut with bratwurst.

I’m addicted.

I can easily trace this addiction back to bread and butter pickles.  This sweet pickle is great in potato salad, nestled in sandwiches, and if you are a member of the Phillips family, perfect with peanut butter.  Weird…yes, but stick with me here.

Starting with my Grandpa Phillips, anytime chili was on the menu, so was a jar of bread and butter pickles, creamy peanut butter, and saltine crackers.  Sure, most people would likely pair chili with cornbread, fritos, or even just plain saltines, but for us, nothing is more perfect than a cracker smeared with peanut butter and topped with bread and butter pickle.  A surprisingly brilliant intersection of crisp, crunchy, creamy, salty, sweet, and sour that combats the heat of chili and leaves your taste buds wanting more of both.

Thankfully, my dad brought this unusual side dish to our table and I will be happy to keep the tradition alive as well (and maybe you’ll give it a whirl too?!).  To make it even better, I learned that making bread and butter pickles at home is a cinch!  Now I need a pot of chili…

Makes about 4 cups of pickles

Recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Note:  I recommend reading Deb’s, from Smitten Kitchen, tips on kosher salt proportions.  I could not find Diamond Kosher Salt, so I just used Morton Kosher Salt – I have written this recipe based on that.  Seriously…try these with saltines and peanut butter!

1 pound cucumbers, sliced 1/4-inch thick — “pickling” or kirby cucumbers work best here
1 large sweet onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons kosher salt (see note and link above)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 teaspoons ground turmeric
1 tablespoon mustard seeds
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon celery seed

In a medium bowl, combine the cucumbers, onion and salt. Mix well. Cover the mixture with ice. Let stand at room temperature for two hours. In a pot, bring sugar, vinegar and spices to a boil. Drain cucumbers and onions. Add to vinegar mixture and bring almost back to a boil. Remove from heat and cool. You can store the pickles in an airtight container for up to three weeks in the fridge. They will begin tasting pickled in just a couple hours.