Salsa Mild or Hot?

Salsa is easy to make and can be very auththentic if you have the right ingredients. I like to use a dried "Hatch" chili grown only in New Mexico. If you want the real "smokey" flavor steam them in foil with a little water when you BBQ. I send away for the dried chilies, you can get mild to hot. I have tried different combos to create salsa from mild to medium hot.

So there are a number of options depending on what you have fresh or what you have in your pantry. This salsa I made with canned tomatoes. It was very flavorful and mild. I used 3 mild and 2 medium hatch chilies. Roasted them in a pan with a little olive oil and then water to soften. Go to http://www.madeinnewmexico.com/driedchilepods.html to order the chilies! The order came in just a few days and they gave me free shipping as it was my first order!


Next place the chilies, onion, shallots and garlic in a food processor and pulse several times to chop. Then add the canned tomatoes, spices and fresh cilantro and continue to process for about 60 seconds or until as is finely chopped and mixed. I used one chopped tomato with jalapenos and one  plain whole tomato. You can also roast tomatoes in a pan with olive oil to blacken the skin and cook the tomato slightly if you have fresh.

Now it looks like this....

Add juice of one lime and you are ready for dippin! YUM!

Mild Salsa Recipe:
 3 mild Hatch chili pods with stem removed
2 medium Hatch chili pods with stem removed
10 oz chopped canned tomatoes with jalapenos
14.5 oz whole canned tomatoes or 4-5 fresh roasted tomatoes
4 cloves of roasted garlic or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 small onion
1/4 small shallot
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or about 4 -5 branches
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Juice of one small lime

Ok so if you have fresh tomatoes, fresh chilies or prefer to use here is a medium hot salsa recipe. It has a little fresher quality than the mild one above. I still use one can of chopped tomatoes plain or seasoned (whatever you have..I used one with basil and garlic and it was very good!)

Medium Hot Salsa:

2 mild Hatch chili pods with stem removed

3 medium Hatch chili pods with stem removed
2 fresh jalapeno, Fresno or Anaheim peppers of your choice (or what is currently growing and ripe in your garden)
10 oz chopped tomatoes with jalapenos or other flavors or plain
4-5 fresh tomatoes
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder or 4 roasted garlic cloves
1/2 small onion
1/4 small shallot (you can omit if you don't have one)
1/4 cup fresh cilantro or about 4 -5 branches
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cumin
Juice of one small lime