Spices + Condiments

Making your own fresh homemade salsa recipe is easy using the combination of yellow tomatoes, chilies, onions and cilantro to create a salsa with an authentic Mexican flavor. It is perfect with chips or as a condiment for fajitas, burritos, and quesadillas.

How To Make Your Own Homemade Salsa Recipe

Making homemade salsa is simple, you gather you’re ingredients.

• Yellow tomatoes
• Onions
• Jalapenos
• White vinegar
• Lime juice
• Garlic
• Cilantro
• Cumin
• Salt
• Sugar
• Red pepper flakes

Place all the ingredient in a medium stock pot, allow to simmer for about 15 minutes then blend with an immursion hand blender. You can blend a little or alot just depending on if you want a chuncky homemade salsa recipe or a smoother type.

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What is better for you, red tomatoes or yellow tomatoes?

You can use any variety of large tomatoes for this salsa but I like to use a tomato that is not too acidic like a yellow tomato. It also might suprise you that accordin to Prevention yellow tomatos are slightly better for you than red.

Calories

• Red: 38 calories
• Yellow: 32 calories

Protein

• Red: 2 grams
• Yellow: 2 grams

Fiber

• Red: 10% of your daily value
• Yellow: 6% of your daily value

Calcium

• Red: 2% of your daily value
• Yellow: 2% of your daily value

Iron

• Red: 3% of your daily value
• Yellow: 6% of your daily value

Phosphorus

• Red: 5% of your daily value
• Yellow: 8% of your daily value

Potassium

• Red: 14% of your daily value
• Yellow: 16% of your daily value

Sodium

• Red: 11 milligrams
• Yellow: 49 milligrams

Tomatos are not a high sodium fruit but yellow tomatos do have more.

Zinc

• Red: 2.4% of your daily value
• Yellow: 4% of your daily value

With almost twice as much zinc, yellow tomatoes help boost your immune system.

Vitamin C

• Red: 48% of your daily value
• Yellow: 32% of your daily value

Red tomatoes have more vitamin C but the yellow tomatoes do have a healthy amount.

Niacin

• Red: 7% of your daily value
• Yellow: 13% of your daily value

Niacin helps lower cholesterol, so yellow tomatos win at this.

Folate

• Red: 8% of your daily value
• Yellow: 16% of your daily value

Folate, which helps your body produce red blood cells is significantly higher in yellow tomatoes.

What is the difference between salsa and pico de gallo?

Salsa and pico de gallo are similar and have many of the same ingredients. However, pico de gallo is a chunkier, fresher version of salsa.

Pico de gallo is made with fresh uncooked tomatoes, onions, jalapenos while salsa is usually cooked tomatoes that have been blended to a more liquid consistency.

Pico is not going to be made in a food processor or blender and will be put together by dicing up the ingredient chunky style with a knife.

To make your own try my recipe to learn How To Make Pico De Gallo.

Ok, it’s time to pick your tomatoes, and get going on making your own salsa!

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It’s quick and easy to learn how to make Pico De Gallo using simple fresh ingredients. Pico De Gallo is a low-calorie condiment that adds a punch of authentic Mexican flavor to just about any Mexican meal.

 

 

Pico De Gallo is perfect in tacos, bean burritos, spooned over grilled vegetables, as a salsa with chips, and one of my favorites, fried potatoes. It would also be great with pasta or tossed in a salad. Basically, it’s a perfect condiment for an array of foods!

How To Make Pico De Gallo

 

1. Fresh tomatoes, vine-ripened if possible are a must. Be sure and choose your tomatoes well, look for slightly firm ripe tomatoes that are deep in color. Pick up your tomatoes and smell it, it should have a sweet earthy smell. Usually, red tomatoes are more acidic and flavorful but adding a yellow tomato to your Pico De Gallo would make it look festive.
2. Sweet onions are my favorite for Pico De Gallo since you are eating them raw. A sweeter onion helps balance the jalapeno’s heat.
3. Fresh lime juice is the base seasoning that keeps it all fresh and tangy so don’t skimp and use that green squeeze bottle of juice! Pick a fresh ripe lime, cut it in half and squeeze the juice right into your pico de gallo.
4. Cilantro is zest to this sauces flavor. Be sure and use freshly chopped not dried out of a jar. After washing mine I like to grab the whole bundle in one hand and then cut with scissors the leaves into small little pieces.
5. Jalapenos are the heat to fresh Pico De Gallo and you can add a little or a lot to suit your heat level. I like taking the seeds out of my jalapeno to cool it down some, that way I can put more in. If I am serving someone that likes a lot of heat I add some crushed red peppers to their bowl.
6. Salt and sugar are used to draw out the flavor of the tomatoes and raw onions. You only need a pinch of each but allowing your Pico De Gallo to sit for 20 minutes or so after adding these will enhance your flavor, sort of the secret ingredients to good taste.

 

 

 

 

 

Why not try my Cuban Homemade Sazon seasoning too? Sazon gives your food a warm and comforting flavor that is not spicy. It is used to enhance existing flavors in a dish just like you would with a salt shaker.  Most blends consist of coriander, cumin, garlic, oregano, black pepper and some sort of spice that adds color such as paprika. I mixed up what seemed to be a basic recipe except I added some turmeric for color and well because turmeric is so good for our health I try to use it often.

 

 

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Homemade Sazon is a flavorful Cuban blend of seasoning which accents rice, beans, vegetable and meat dishes that is easy to make yourself.

Sazon gives your food a warm and comforting flavor that is not spicy.  Sazon seasoning is used to enhance existing flavors in a dish just like you would with a salt shaker.  Most blends consist of coriander, cumin, garlic, oregano, black pepper and some sort of spice that adds color such as paprika. I mixed up what seemed to be a basic recipe except I added some turmeric for color and well because turmeric is so good for our health I try to use it often.

 

 

For an absolutely delicious way to use sazon try my Cuban Quinoa Bowl with Sazon Cashew Dressing.  Homemade sazon infuses wonderful Cuban flavors in each layer of healthy ingredients.  This dressing has become one of my healthy go-to salad dressings.

 

 

Some commercially made sazon contain MSG and other additives so mixing your own is a simple and easy way to not have to worry about this. You just toss all the spices in a jar, put on a top and shake.  Homemade sazon would also be good to keep in a shaker bottle and place on the table at mealtime.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Creating your own Dry Italian Seasoning Mix is simple to make and a great way to serve healthy salads for your family and friends.

 

 

This is very similar to the little packets of dressing mixes you can get at the store but packed with more Italian herbs and not a lot of salt. You can use this dry italian seasong mix to create a wonderful vinaigrette salad dressing or use as a seasoning on roasted potatoes and other vegetables.  Looking for a way to spice up your veggies before you grill then just use this dry italian seasoning mix with the dressing recipe in the notes and you will have a great marinade.

 

 

I start with herbs I’m growing in our garden, drying them in my Excalibur Food Dehydrator.  (affiliate link) I find their flavor is enhanced because the dehydrator’s temperature range is low enough to preserve active enzymes in fruits, vegetables, and herbs. They don’t get all dried out and crispy and they retain their color better.

 

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Dry Italian Seasoning Mix

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