May is National Salsa Month…Fantàstico!

No, not the dance that they futilely attempt on Dancing with the Stars, but the spicy Mexican condiment. Whether you like yours mild or eye-watering hot, or with tomatillos, salsa can be used to invigorate any number of dishes and not just for tortilla chip dipping.

Salsa is an incredibly ancient food. Evidence of its use goes back to the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas of ancient Mexico and South America, who consumed it long before some dude named Columbus tripped over the New World in 1492. In fact, Columbus’ homies back in Europe had not yet even discovered the joys of the tomato as they were only grown in the New World and since tomatoes are one of the main ingredients in salsa, Europe was salsa free.

Since that time, salsa has been transformed into an incredible number of varieties as people across the globe experiment with different ingredients and spices. However, the most common ingredients include tomatoes, onions, garlic, cilantro and, depending on your heat tolerance, any number of peppers, which is how the salsa “heat scale” is generated.

With the growing number of Hispanic-Americans, prepared food companies jumped on the salsa bandwagon decades ago, beginning in the 1950s, and they spread their prepared salsa steadily northward from the American Southwest, until its popularity became national. However, that’s not to say that these prepared salsas are the most savory.

Some of the best salsas you will ever taste are almost always homemade. It’s in this manner that you can choose specific and fresh ingredients to control the thickness and heat level of your salsa, depending upon your personal preferences and those of your friends and family as well. You can also perfectly match your salsa to compliment any number of dishes.

If you do decide to produce your own salsa, don’t be afraid to experiment with different ingredients, such as beans, corn, different types of peppers, mango, pineapple, or mint. Also, don’t be afraid to pair it with unconventional items, such as chocolate (everything goes with chocolate), chicken or even cheese cake.

MagicKitchen.com has any number of dishes that would go great with some of your homemade salsa, or even prepared salsa. These dishes include our stuffed peppers with marinara sauce, vegetable stew, chili con carne, fresh cut corn medley, or chocolate ganache cake just to name a few. But don’t be afraid to pair your salsa with almost any dish, and not just during the month of May!

Here’s a unique salsa recipe which would go wonderfully with our vegetable stew, courtesy of Knead to Cook:

Shrimp Salsa

1.25 lbs of cocktail shrimp, peeled and deveined and then chopped
1 cup or one large handful of fresh cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
1/3 cup of finely diced red onion
1 red bell pepper, chopped into small pieces
2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
1 jalapeño, diced (seeded if you don’t want it spicy)
2 limes, juiced (must use fresh)
1 teaspoon (I love ground cumin so I added more) ground cumin
1 pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

Directions:

Combine everything through the jalapeño. Give a good toss in your bowl. Then add the remaining ingredients tossing. Taste and adjust seasonings to your preference. Cover and refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!

Steve, MagicKitchen.com blogger