Fire Roasted Salsa

Cino de Mayo is coming!  It's less than one week away.  We base all celebrations around food or we base food around celebrations...whatever...time to pull out the Mexican recipes (none of which are considered "authentic").  This is a very quick and easy salsa recipe that can be made in just a few minutes using canned fire roasted tomatoes.  I think you're going to love it.

I'm diggin' this product.  Muir Glen Fire Roasted tomatoes.  If you don't like the smokey flavor, you can certainly use plain tomatoes.  You really should go outside of yourself just this once and give them a try.  You can mix and match their assortment of fire roasted flavors (Adobo seasonings- way good).  We like heat so I was excited to see the fire roasted tomatoes with Chipotle (pronounced chih-POHT-lay NOT chih-POL-tay).  Chipotle peppers are smoked jalapeno peppers. 

Next you will need a 12- oz can of diced tomatoes with green chiles.  Rotel brand is the most often used.  I just happen to see the Hatch brand with a medium heat and thought I'd try it.  I liked it.

To the tomatoes you will add onions, garlic, Serrano Chiles (or you can use jalapeno peppers whatever you like), salt, cumin, line juice and a lot of cilantro.

I think I might have already introduced you to my favorite kitchen toy.  My husband gave it to me for Christmas.  He loves me...this is proof.  I get more excited over kitchen toys than shoes.  If you have a food processor, use it.  If not, you can do this in a blender.

Time to prep everything.  Remember "mise on place"?  Do it.  Mince the garlic.  I used a garlic press you can smash it then chop it if you'd like.  Don't add the garlic whole, because you will end up with a knicked chunk of garlic in your salsa.

Cut the stems off of the chile's then throw them out.

Cut the chiles in half.  Do you see the seeds and veins?  You have a choice.  If you love heat, keep them.  Now these two tiny Serrano's pack a lot of heat.  If you are a pansy, just use one or opt for a Jalapeno.

Another option for pansies...remove the seeds and veins that are inside the chile.  Just take a knife and scrape them out.  I guess those little seeds pack a lot of heat in them so removing them will make the salsa milder.

Chop.

Chop the onion.  I really like using red onions, but the reds in the grocery store were looking pretty sad so I chose a good looking yellow onion instead.

Chop cilantro.  Love the cilantro.

In the bowl of a food process, add the fire roasted tomatoes.

Add the can of fire roasted tomatoes with chipotle peppers.

Add the tomatoes with green chiles...

...chopped onions...

...Serrano chiles...

...minced garlic...

...cilantro...

...salt...

...cumin...

...lime juice...

Put the lid on the food processor.

Pulse until you reach the consistancy that you like the best.  Chunky, smooth or something inbetween.  I don't care.  It's your salsa.  Make it the way you like it.

That's it!  See that was quick and easy.  Best of all you can adjust the flavors and consistancy to your liking.  My way is really good.  You should try it first.  This makes a boat load, about 6 1/2 cups (I measured).

I'm digging in! 

Great salsa!  You should make it for your Cinco de Mayo celebration.

Fire Roasted Salsa

1 28-ounce can Fire Roasted Tomatoes
1 14.5- ounce can Fire Roasted with Chipotle Peppers (or reg. canned tomatoes)
1 12-ounce can diced Tomatoes with Green Chiles (Rotel)
½ cup chopped onion2 cloves garlic
1-2 Serrano Chiles
1/3 cup lime juice (juice from 1 whole lime)
1 cup cilantro, chopped
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cumin

Combine the canned tomatoes, onion, garlic, chiles, lime juice, cilantro, salt and cumin in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse all the ingredients together to desired consistency. This will make approximately 6 ½ cups of salsa (a boat load).


Happy Cinco de Mayo! 

Jamaican Jerk Chicken - FINALLY!

I got a call from Tiffany who is my baby and going to college too far from home.  Ok, 250 miles isn't that far, but it might as well be China!  Tiffany was having a craving for Jamaican Jerk Chicken.  She requested that I make this for her when she came home.  Well, she came home so I thought this would be a great recipe to blog.  I usually make this during the summer and grill vegies to accompany the chicken.  Wouldn't you know that it has rained non-stop all day.  So I'm grilling in the rain.  YES, the chicken could have been baked in the oven, but I really love the grill flavor.  Thank you, Tiffany for requesting Jerk!  Chicken that is!  Not the guys she dates (hahahaha...love you).

These few simply ingredients will make a powerful chicken.  With the exception of the habanero chiles, I keep everything here on hand.  They are part of my pantry staples. 

From the produce department you will need the following:  Shallots, green onions, garlic, hananero chiles, and fresh thyme.

From your pantry cupboard you will need:  salt, pepper, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, cinnamon, ground allspice and oil (whatever you have will work).

Just roughly chop your produce.

In a blender or food processor add the shallots...

...green onions...

...hot motha habanero chiles.  A word of advise...you may want to wear rubber gloves when handling these babies.  They are deadly.  If you don't wear gloves while chopping, do NOT rub your eyes, scratch anything, pick your nose, one other thing I can't mention (too embarassing).  You get the drift...

If you are serving this to small children, you may want to omit the habanero's.  If you are a pansy and can't take the heat you can just add one.  But you HAVE to add at least one for heaven sake.  My family gets annoyed with pansy people who say they don't like spicey foods.  Buck up!  If you are not a pansy try adding 4 habanero chiles and marinate for 48 hours.  That's some *** kickin heat!

...garlic and ginger...

...thyme...

...salt and pepper...

...cinnamon and allspice...

...ground cloves and ground nutmeg...

...and the oil.

Not necessarily in that order.  You can reverse the order and it will still turn out the same.

Turn on the blender or food processor.

Let it rip!

Blend until it becomes a smooth green paste.  Now don't look and this and say, "Ewww it's thick green goop".  Look at this and say, "wow look at this beautiful green paste of flavors that will penetrate my chicken to the bone." 

Another helpful hint:  DO NOT inhale the vapors of this paste.  They carry a punch! 

Place the chicken in a resealable bag.  Ewww that bone looks kind of disgusting - sorry.  I always use bone in chicken with the skin for this recipe.  I like the flavor and moisture.  I'm sure you could use boneless skinless.  I have never tried it, just don't over cook or your will have extremely spicey dried out breasts!

Pour the jerk paste over the chicken.  Squish it around to make sure that all of the chicken pieces are well coated.

Zip the bag closed and place it on a baking sheet and refrigerate for 24 hours or 48 hours if you want it to knock your socks off.

Heat your gas grill up to 500 degrees.  If you are using charcoal, use the 5 second rule.  Place your hand about 5 inches from the coals and hold it there for 3-5 seconds.  After the gas grill is heated turn the burners to low and turn one off.  Place the chicken on the grill skin sides down on the burner without the heat.  This is called off set grilling.  Keeping the other burners on will keep the grill nice and hot without burning your chicken.  Grill for about 15 minutes per side.  Watch carefully not to burn the chicken.

Alternately, you can place the chicken on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 450 degree oven.  Cook for about 25-30 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink.  Then turn on broiler and broil chicken until the skin is crisp, 2-3 minutes.

You may want to lightly oil the rack to prevent the chicken from sticking.

It's still raining!  Oops I had a little stickage.  No problem.  Cook another 15 minutes after turning.

I decided to grill some pineapple and lime halves.  The grilled limes are awesome squeezed over the chicken.

You probably noticed that my grill is a hundred years old.  It's a Webber and I LOVE IT!  Can't part with it.  Someday I'll get a big daddy Webber.  Mothers Day????  I TOTALLY deserve it.

It's still raining...

There you have it - Jamaican Jerk Chicken.  Definately not for the spicey impared.  It's still raining!

Jamaican Jerk Chicken

3 fresh habanero chiles, discard stems and coarsely chop
6 green onions, coarsely chopped
3 shallots, quartered
3 garlic cloves, smashed
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh thyme leaves
2 teaspoons ground allspice
1 ½ teaspoons black pepper
1 ½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
½ teaspoons ground cloves
¼ cup oil
1 whole chicken, cut up


Cut and wash chicken or just buy one pre-cut.  Cut several 1-inch long slits in each piece of chicken. Set aside. Combine all other ingredients in a blender or food processor. Blend until a paste forms. Place the chicken in a re-sealable bag or deep dish. Pour Jerk paste over chicken. Reseal bag. Move the chicken pieces around to make sure that the paste covers the entire piece. Place on a baking sheet or plate skin side down and refrigerate overnight.  Makes 8 servings.

Try to marinate chicken at least 8 hours. I have marinated for as long as 48 hours. Wow was the flavor INTENSE!

As you bite into this grilled chicken, your mouth will explode as the different flavors come through. If you were tough enough to use all three habanero chiles, you will start to feel the heat build up in your mouth then it will linger in your throat. It’s a Jamaican party in your mouth, man.