Last week I posted about one of my favorite go-to dinners and part of that insanely yummy Mexican dish is this delicious salsa fresca recipe. Mexican food is my absolute favorite and since moving to SLC part time it has really put a crimp in our usual 3-4 nights a week Mexican food habit. 😉 Amazing tacos, chips and salsa, burritos and all kinds of other delicious Mexican foods are readily available just about everywhere you turn in Southern California, but it’s been a bit harder to come by in Utah. This supply and demand issue has caused me to really up my game and work harder to replicate some of my favorite foods I can find at home in So Cal. Good salsa fresca is one of THE most important ingredients in most any Mexican food dish, so this recipe is a great place to start if you want to try your hand at making your own Mexican food too! 🙂
One of the best parts about Salsa Fresca is that it is ALL vegetables, so you can pile it on to just about anything and feel great doing so. It adds a freshness and brightness to so many dishes that might otherwise seem a bit heavy, and is incredible with some chips too. 😉 I make my salsa fresca in my food processor, which is an essential gadget in my kitchen because I use it for so many things, but if you don’t own a food processor you can make your salsa more of a pico de gallo style and just leave it chunkier.
Here is what you need for this delicious salsa fresca recipe: (there is a printable recipe a bit further down if you’d like one) 🙂
SALSA FRESCA DIRECTIONS:
(for food processor preparation)
Slice your tomatoes into quarters. I like my salsa with fewer tomato seeds in it, so I remove the seeds from roughly 1/2 of the tomatoes)
Chop your onion into big chunks
Jalapeno sliced in half lengthwise and roughly chopped. The heat of your salsa will come from the seeds of the Jalapeno. You can remove all the seeds for almost no heat and add more depending on your heat tolerance. I like my salsa hot, so I usually leave 1/2 to 3/4 of the seeds in the jalapeno. Just remember that you can always add, but you can’t take away…so if you aren’t sure what you like, maybe add a few at a time to see what you like.
Roughly chop the cilantro
Cut the garlic cloves into about 6-8 pieces each
Place all of these ingredients in the food processor and squeeze lime juice and add salt. Put the lid on the processor and pulse until all ingredients are finely chopped and mixed well together. You can eat this salsa right away, or if you make it ahead, it’s great to let it sit in the fridge so it can chill and the flavors can meld together.
Pumpkin Dump Cake (aka Pumpkin Stuff)
Ingredients
- 30 oz pumpkin
- 16 oz evaporated milk
- 1 tsp ginger
- 1/2 tsp ground cloves
- 1 cup sugar
- 4 eggs
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 package yellow cake mix
- 3/4 cup butter
Instructions
Pre-heat oven to 350
Mix pumpkin, milk, ginger, cloves, sugar, eggs, cinnamon and one cup of cake mix in a large bowl. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan.
Sprinkle the rest of the cake mix on top of your cake (yes, the whole thing on top!) 😉
Melt butter and pour over the top of the cake.
Bake for 45 minutes
Serve with fresh whipped cream or ice cream. It's great warm or cold.
Notes
The melted butter and cake mix on the top of this delicious cake create a sweet streusel like topping that is divine!
SALSA FRESCA INGREDIENTS:
4 ripe tomatoes
1/4 yellow onion
1 jalapeno
8 cilantro sprigs
2 garlic cloves
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 teaspoon salt
I use this salsa to top of tacos, enchiladas, chips, burritos, chimichangas, salads…you get the idea! It is super versatile. It will stay good in the fridge for about a week.
If you want the ultimate snack, make this salsa fresca and some of my favorite guacamole.
Looking for more great Mexican recipes and dessert ideas? Check out some of my most popular recipe posts:
Chili Lime Chicken Tacos with Grilled Pineapple Salsa and Avocado Crema
Sweet and Creamy Tres Leches Cake
Bacon Wrapped Stuffed Jalapenos
Amazing Carnitas Tacos and Toppings
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Bon Apetit!
Tammy