Pico de Gallo vs. Salsa??

I get the question, "What's the difference between Pico de Gallo and Salsa?" Depending on who you may ask, depends on the answer you receive. Popular answer are, "Salsa is cooked, Pico de Gallo is raw", or "Salsa is more saucy whereas Pico de Gallo is more like a relish", and some people say there is no difference, they are the same. I could get into the break down of the translations of the words and all that, but do I REALLY want to bore anyone to tears?

For me, my answer tends to compile a few popular answers: Pico de Gallo is raw and not saucy, whereas Salsa is cooked and is saucy.

Between the two, I much prefer Pico de Gallo style.

If I go to a Latin themed restaurant, and they drop a bowl of jarred salsa in front of me, I get up and walk out. Pico de Gallo and salsa is so easy to make, there is NO reason why it can not be made fresh. If they can not take the effort to make fresh salsa, I can only imagine what the rest of the meal would be like.

I have bought jarred salsa's before, and have always come up disappointed. So I always tend to make my own Pico de Gallo. Last week, I saw a jarred "Pico de Gallo" so I had to try it. To say I was disappointed in the product is just the tip of the iceberg. It was horrible, and it ended up in the trash. And for those of my readers, if you use jarred salsa's, do yourself a favor and TRY this recipe next time you want to have chips and salsa. The freshness and flavor bursts will overwhelm your taste buds!

If you look online for a Pico de Gallo recipe, the first thing you will notice is everyone has their own version of it. While most of the ingredients remain the same, there are definitely many variations on it. This is my version, hope you try it, and hope you enjoy it!


Pico de Gallo
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YIELD: about 2 cups

1 small red onion, diced small (about 1/4 cup)
2 large jalepeno peppers, seeded and ribs removed, diced small (leave seeds & ribs in for hotter product)
1/2 of a green bell pepper, diced small
2 cloves of garlic, either minced or use a garlic press
2 large, very ripe tomatoes, diced and seeds removed. About 1 1/2 cups
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped fine.
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Juice of one lime


Combine all ingredients together in a bowl. Serve with tortilla chips of your choice. It is better if you let it sit for a day in the fridge, but it is just fine to serve right away as well, your choice depending on when you actually need it.

Beef Empanadas

Feel free to use the frozen pastry dough in lieu of making the pastry yourself. It will save some time, and make it easier to prepare.


Beef Empanadas
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YIELD: 12 Empanadas

Ingredients
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1 Pound Ground Beef
2 Tablespoons Butter
1/2 Cup Onion, Chopped
3 Cloves Garlic, Minced
1 Cup Beef stock, or Beef Broth
2 Large Ripe Tomatoes, Chopped
1 Teaspoon Salt
1 Can Green Chilies (3 oz can), drained and chopped
1 Each Bay leaf
2 Tablespoons Black Olives, Chopped

1 1/2 Cups Unsifted flour
3/4 Teaspoon Salt
1/2 Cup Shortening
4 Teaspoons Cold Water
1 Each Egg Yolk

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1. For Filling, brown the ground beef in large skillet over medium high heat, drain and set aside. In now empty skillet, melt butter over medium heat, add onions and saute until tender. Add garlic and saute until fragrent, about 30 more seconds. Return beef to pan and mix with onions and garlic.

2. Add beef stock (or broth), tomatoes, green chiles, 1 teaspoon of salt, and bay leaf. Simmer, stirring occasionally abuot 20 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf, and stir in the olives.

3. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

4. For the Pasty, in medium bowl, combine flour, salt, shortening, and water. Blend until mixture holds together like bread dough.

5. Divide pastry into 12 pieces on lightly floured surface, roll each piece into a six inch round. What I do is roll the dough flat to abuot 1/4 inch thick, then I will use a number 10 can as a "cookie cutter". Place about 3 tablespoons of filling in one half of each round, and fold over the other half of the pastry.

6. Press edges together with fingers, to seal flute edges with a fork. Cut slits on top of each empanada. Beat egg yolk with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush over top of empanadas.

7. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden Brown

Chicken Enchiladas

Theses enchiladas turn out fantastic. Follow the recipe and you will have a winner. I have yet to have an enchilada I like more.

If you love the Latin Flavors, then do yourself a favor, make yourself some of these outstanding enchiladas!


Chicken Enchiladas
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YIELD: About 10 enchiladas

Ingredients:
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Sauce and Filling
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, chopped fine
3 medium garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons sugar
12 ounces boneless chicken thighs, cut 1/4 inch wide strips
2 cans tomato sauce, 8 ounces each can
1/2 cup coarsely chopped cilantro leaves
4 ounces pickled jalapenos, drained and chopped
8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Tortillas and Toppings
10 each corn tortillas, 6 inches
vegetable cooking spray
3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated
3/4 cup sour cream
1 each avocado, diced medium
5 each romaine lettuce leaves, washed, dried, and shredded
2 each limes, quartered

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1. FOR THE SAUCE AND FILLING:

Heat oil in medium saucepan over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering but not smoking, about 2 minutes; add onion and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, chili powder, coriander, cumin, salt, and sugar; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken and cook, stirring constantly, until coated with spices, about 30 seconds. Add tomato sauce and 3/4 cup water; stir to separate chicken pieces. Bring to simmer, then reduce heat to medium-low; simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through and flavors have melded, about 8 minutes. Pour mixture through medium mesh strainer into medium bowl, pressing on chicken and onions to extract as much sauce as possible; set sauce aside. Transfer chicken mixture to large plate; freeze for 10 minutes to cool, then combine cilantro, jalapenos, and cheese in medium bowl and set aside

2. Adjust oven racks to upper- and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 300 degrees.

3. TO ASSEMBLE:

Smear bottom of 13 by 9 inch baking dish with 3/4 cup of the sauce. Place tortillas on two baking sheets (5 on each sheet), spray both sides with cooking spray, and cook in oven until soft and pliable, about 4 minutes. Place warm tortillas on counter top. Increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Place 1/3 cup of the filling down the center of each tortilla. Roll up each tortilla tightly by hand (don't fold in the ends), and place in the baking dish, seam side down. Pour remaining chili sauce over top of enchiladas. Use a spoon to spread sauce so it coats top of each tortilla. Sprinkle 3/4 cups grated cheese down center of enchiladas. Cover baking dish with foil. Bake enchiladas on lower-middle rack until heated through and cheese is melted, 20 to 25 minutes. Uncover and serve immediately, passing sour cream, avocado, lettuCE, and lime separately.