I must be on a spicy food kick. Maybe it has to do with spending the last 5 months in Minnesota where their idea of spicy food is pepperjack cheese. Oooh that’s spicy! Well, as I promised in my last post, (Grilled Chorizo and Vegetables Foil Pack), I’ll show you how I make homemade spicy salsa roja.
A lot of the recipes for salsa roja use roasted tomatoes and peppers. I’m not a big fan of the roasted taste, although it certainly imparts it’s own unique flavors. I go for the natural goodness and simplicity of plain, fresh ingredients. And this also makes it so easy prepare this salsa…5 ingredients and a couple spices. That’s it!
You can also make this as spicy or as mild as you like. The salsa I made to have with the grilled chorizo and vegetables was made with one jalapeno pepper. It was just kind of Minnesota spicy. Oooh that’s spicy! The salsa I made today to have with chips had one jalapeno pepper and one small habanero pepper. Now this salsa will get your attention, although it is certainly not the hottest.
The Scoville heat unit scale is how peppers and chilis are rated. The jalapeno pepper is between 1000 and 4000 Scoville units. The habanero chili is 100,000 to 350,000 Scoville units. So the habanero has about 100 times the heat of a jalapeno pepper. You can try different chili peppers for this, but here’s a warning…if the pepper you use is called Komodo Dragon or scorpion or viper or ghost, you may want to be careful. Also the name Naga…I think it means, “Grab an ice cold carton of milk and throw it on my head.” Don’t quote me on that one, I’m really not sure. But I am sure, if your pepper is called “Death Strain”, I think I would avoid it.
So make your own homemade spicy salsa roja, and use whatever heat you are comfortable with. It’s easy to prepare and so good to eat! Have it as a topping for veggies or plain as a dip. You will love it either way.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 4 roma tomatoes coarsely chopped
- 1 med. yellow onion , chopped
- 2 or 3 cloves garlic , chopped
- 1 or more peppers of your choice , chopped
- 2 to 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 3/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
Instructions
- Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic and peppers into a small saucepan, add the salt and bring to a boil on the stove.
- Reduce the heat and boil for 10 minutes
- Remove from the heat and let cool for several minutes.
- Drain off excess liquid from the pan. (Mine had about 2 or 3 tbsp)
- Place the contents into a blender or food processor, add the cilantro and cumin and blend until pureed.
- Adjust seasonings and serve warm or cold
Ooooooh, that’s spicy, but I like it! =0)