Tag: sauces

Meche’s Salsa Fresca

Some time ago, with Meche’s permission, I shared her recipe for guacamole on “Courage in the Kitchen.” Since fresh vegetables are still available at the local Farmers Markets, it’s not too late to make a batch of Meche’s Salsa Fresca. Salsa Fresca literally means “fresh sauce.” It is also called Pico de Gallo, which translates as “rooster’s beak,” heaven knows why. I prefer to call it salsa fresca.

Unlike the salsas you buy in jars at the supermarket, salsa fresca is made with fresh uncooked vegetables and must be stored in the refrigerator, It’s a wonderfully refreshing dip with tortilla chips, a flavorful sauce over scrambled eggs, and goes great with tacos, enchiladas and burritos.

And if you are counting carbs or watching calories, you would be hard pressed to find a better food to complement a low carb low calorie meal.

Meche made clear that her recipe is just a guide. Feel free to change the proportion of ingredients and even add some other ingredients such as radishes, cucumbers or even salad shrimp. Meche even said that the avocado was optional, but she seems to include one most of the time, and I like avocados. Start with tomatoes, onion, peppers and lime juice and go on from there.

4 medium tomatoes (about 3 inches in diameter)
1 small onion (1 1/2 to 2 inches in diameter)
2 to 3 Jalapeño peppers or Serrano chiles
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 large clove garlic
2 T fresh lime juice
1/4 tsp. salt
1 avocado

Wash all the vegetables thoroughly. Remove the stem scar and cut the tomatoes in half. Remove the seeds and pulp and chop the tomatoes into half inch pieces. Peel and finely chop the onion.

Remove the stems, seeds and white membrane from the peppers and chop them into a quarter inch dice. Remove the coarse stems from the cilantro and chop the leaves finely. Peel and mince the garlic.

Cut a firm, barely ripe avocado in half, remove the seed and scoop the flesh from the rind with a spoon. Chop the halves into a coarse dice.

Stir the tomatoes, onion, peppers, cilantro and garlic together in a medium bowl. Juice a lime and stir two tablespoons of the fresh juice into the vegetables along with the salt.

Taste and add salt or more juice if necessary.

NOTES: For a milder salsa, substitute part of a green bell pepper for one or two of the jalapeño peppers. For a spicier salsa, use Serrano peppers or add a dash of hot sauce. If you like garlic, add an extra clove.

This recipe works best with an avocado that is very firm. If it feels just slightly soft when you press on the rind, it is right for salsa. If your avocados have gotten too soft, do not despair. Here’s a link to the recipe for Meche’s Guacamole

Roast Chicken

One day at the cabin I decided to try roasting a frying chicken. I had planned to marinate and cook it on the grill, but the mosquitos were at their peak, so I opted for something I could do inside. Since the result was pretty good, I jotted down the ingredients and repeated the experiment a few weeks later.

Now we have roasted chicken at least a couple of times a year at the cabin. With this simple recipe you can have a chicken in the oven in only a few minutes and a gourmet meal on the table in an hour and a half.

INGREDIENTS:

3-4 lb. whole chicken
1 T olive oil
2 T flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. tarragon
1/4 tsp. rosemary
1/4 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp. paprika
dash or two of cayenne
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

PROCEDURE:

Preheat the oven to 400º.

Crush the rosemary in a pestle or use a cup and spoon. Put the flour on a plate and add the salt, tarragon, crushed rosemary, basil, paprika, cayenne and black pepper. Mix everything together thoroughly and spread it in a thin layer.

Remove the giblets and set them aside. Rinse the chicken under cold water, pat it dry with a paper towel and rub it with the olive oil. Roll the chicken in the flour and spice mixture, coating the outside and dusting the inside of the cavity. Tie the legs together with kitchen string.

Put the chicken, breast side up. on a rack in a roasting pan and put it in the preheated oven. After 20 minutes, turn the oven down to 350º and roast until done, about an hour. Baste it with a little butter or olive oil once or twice while cooking.

Test for doneness by poking a skewer into the thick part of the thigh; the juices should run clear. Or you can check that the legs move easily or use an instant read meat thermometer. When the temperature at the thickest part of the breast is 165º the meat is done.

Serve with boiled or baked potatoes or rice and a vegetable or salad.

NOTES: You can use the meat from the giblets and neck to make an excellent gravy with the drippings from the chicken. Wash and put the gizzard, heart and neck in about a pint of water in a small saucepan, add a bouillon cube and simmer the meat for about 45 minutes. Don’t use the liver unless you like the stronger flavor in your gravy.

Remove the meat from the broth and let it cool a few minutes. Cut the gizzard and heart into a small dice and pick as much meat as you can from the neck.

When the chicken is done, set it aside covered. Heat the broth to boiling and pour it into the roasting pan. Scrape the drippings from the bottom of the pan and return the broth to the saucepan. Add the meat from the giblets and bring the pan to a simmer.

Dissolve a tablespoon of corn starch (or a heaping tablespoon if you like thicker gravy) into a quarter cup of cold water and stir it into the broth. Simmer for two or three minutes, taste and correct the seasoning.