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Saturday, August 8, 2015

Salsa Season


Happy Summer!!

Farmer's markets! Fresh veggies! Juicy fruit! I love all the wonderful tasty things that come with the warm weather.  

....and ice cream

But this post is about some of the more healthy sweet options that summer brings.  Freshly made salsa! 

 Have two kinds of home made salsa recipes to share with you: Mango Salsa and Corn Salsa.  Both a bit different from the normal tomato salsa.  Juicy, sweet, crunchy, easy, there's seriously nothing to not love about these two. 

First up, Mango Salsa.  I made this for the first time last year and it's really easy. The hardest part is cutting up the Mango (hint: the riper the mango, the easier it is to peel/cut). 

Mango Salsa

What You'll Need
One ripe mango, chopped
One small red bell pepper, finely diced
One jalapeno, finely diced (leave in some seeds for heat, completely omit them for a milder salsa)
1/3 cup red onion, finely diced
1/2 cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
Juice of one lime
Salt (optional)

Mix all together, add more lime juice to taste. 

That's it! 

Now, for the corn salsa.  I used canned corn, of course fresh corn is better and will taste better.  But it's not yet in season in the Northeasts, still a little early. If you use fresh corn, substitute a cob for each can. 

Corn Salsa

What You'll Need
One can of yellow corn
One can of white corn 
(If using fresh corn, use two ears of corn instead of the two cans)
2 jalapeno, finely diced (leave in some seeds for heat, completely omit them for a milder salsa)
1/2 red onion, finely diced
3/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
Juice of 2 limes
Salt & Pepper (optional)

Mix it all together, add more lime juice or salt and pepper to taste.  You could add a bit of cayenne pepper to add a bit more heat to it if desired. 

That's it!

Both of these salsas go great over grilled chicken.  The following marinade really brings all the flavors together.  Just mix it all in a Ziploc bag, let it sit for at least an hour (no more than three hours) and grill!  Top it with the mango or corn salsa and you have a wonderful tasty easy summer dinner! 

Lime-Soy Chicken topped with Mango Salsa made with green bell peppers instead of red bell peppers

Lime-Soy Chicken Marinade

What You'll Need
One Pound chicken (any style, bone-in, boneless, whatever you fancy)
Juice of 3 limes
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1/4 cup fresh cilantro, finely diced
Dash of ground ginger

Mix together in Ziploc bag, marinade for 1-3 hours.  For best taste, cook on the grill. 

I hope you all enjoy the rest of the salsa season, and the rest of your summer!
Happy grilling!
~The Craftmeister