Guys, today I have a lovely salsa recipe as well as a little gush about Saltedtv.com. I’ve become kind of obsessed with Salted. Basically it is an online cooking school with hundreds of videos presented by 75 professional chefs (some of whom I’ve even heard of before). And it’s where I got today’s recipe for pico de gallo. Since joining a week ago, I’ve spent practically every break during work watching videos and they have everything. Everything I need to know and everything I didn’t know I wanted to know.
The first video I watched was about how to make an omelette. An omelette is one of those things that seems easy but takes secret finesse and practice. After watching the video I went home and made omelettes for dinner. They didn’t come out perfectly, as I broke them taking them out of the pan – but they were perfectly yellow and fluffy which is something I haven’t done before. Usually, my omelettes get over cooked and browned on the outside. So see, I’m learning, which is exciting.
There are also courses on simple things like coring an apple, trendy things like using a spiralizer (which I both scorn and covet), and difficult things like how to stuff chicken wings. You can search videos by ingredient, chef, type of dish, and my favorite – mood. If you are feeling adventurous, romantic, or playful you can search for that!
Finally, in addition to one-off videos they also have courses with videos that go together. They have introduction courses and courses specific to a cuisine or holiday. I watched a course on grilled cheese, which may sound silly but my mind was blown. I had never thought of putting cheese outside the sandwich too. There are a bunch of other reasons I like this site, but I don’t need to go on and on. In short, I think Salted is totally brilliant. If you’re intrigued and curious about joining, consider doing so through the links in this post or the image in the side bar. I would great appreciate it because if you do join through those avenues, I’ll get a small commission for referring you. Oh and also, if you join you’ll get one month free and then after that it’s just $9.99 per month.
Ok, no enough of that and now on to pico de gallo. The other day Ryan and I watched Jamie Oliver’s TED talk and it got us thinking about healthy snacks and lunches. We talked about it a bit and decided we should try to incorporate more healthy, easy, vegetable heavy-recipes into the blog and into our diets. So, that evening as I laid in bed, I brainstormed recipe ideas and thought of salsa. Sure, not a whole meal but it’s easy, healthy, and vegetable based. About ten minutes later when I was 80% asleep Ryan came to bed and said, “I think you should make salsa.” From my groggy state I said, “I was just thinking that.” To which, Ryan said something surprised and confused because I was basically asleep so how could I be thinking about salsa? But, I liked that we were in sync so I was definitely going to make salsa. 
I went online to Salted and found a video tutorial for pico de gallo. Not only did I learn how to make this dish, but I learned an interesting fact. Pico de gallo means “rooster’s beak.” Originally people ate this with their hands using a pinching scooping movement that looked like a beak.
Anyway, I love this kind of salsa because it’s so simple but wonderfully delicious. I love the big chunks of vegetables, the crunch from the onions, the heat from the jalapenos, and just the overall bright flavor from using fresh vegetables. The salty mushy tomato gunk that’s in most jarred salsa can’t hold up to freshly made pico de gallo. Ryan and I had this with taco salad for dinner and plain with chips for snack. While I was cooking I put a little bowl out for snacking and Ryan said, “I’m so happy! This is delicious!” I’m not sure if there is higher praise. Also, this is the easiest thing ever to make. All you have to do is chop and stir. So, what are you waiting for? Go make this right now. Seriously, I’ve made it twice in 24 hours and it’s nearly all gone.
Messy level: This is even neater than a one spoon recipe. All you have to do is chop and mix. Practically no mess and everything can go in the dishwasher afterward. It’s hassle-free and sure to be a crowd pleaser. What is better than that?
- 4 plum tomatoes, ¼ inch chop
- ½ red onion, diced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded (optional) and diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup of chopped cilantro leaves
- juice of ½ lime
- salt, to taste
- In a medium bowl mix together the tomatoes, onions, garlic, and half of the jalapenos.
- Once all of that is well mixed add the cilantro and lime, gently stir together.
- Taste. Do you want it spicier? Add the rest of the jalapenos.
- Taste. Do you want a little more zip? Add some salt, about ¼-1/2 teaspoon should be fine.
- Stir so everything is well mixed.
- Serve as a garnish or with chips as a salsa.
