ONLINE EXTRA — SNAPPY SALSAS: Avocado Salsa . . . Tropical Cucumber Tomato Salsa . . . Olive Salsa, etc.

Avocado Salsa

1 cup diced bell pepper (use a mix of red, green and yellow)

½ medium jalapeno pepper, diced

1/3 cup diced cucumber

¼ cup sliced green onion

½ cup diced pineapple

1/3 cup fresh chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large avocado, halved, pitted, peeled and cut into ½-inch dice

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cumin (optional)

In medium bowl, stir together, the peppers, cucumbers, green onion, pineapple, cilantro, lemon juice and olive oil. Add the diced avocado and toss gently to combine. Season with salt and, if desired, the cumin. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Tropical Cucumber Tomato Salsa

1 large cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 small onion, sliced and quartered

2 cloves garlic

1 cup fresh mango chunks

¼ cup fresh cilantro

2 jalapeno or serrano chili peppers, seeded and chopped roughly

Juice of 1 lime

3 to 4 fresh medium-sized tomatoes, seeded and chopped in large chunks

1 dash hot sauce or 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon ground black pepper

You may chop first eight ingredients by hand or place in food processor and pulse about 12 times until the cucumbers, mango, and onions are diced. Don’t overprocess. Leave it chunky so everyone knows your salsa is homemade. Taste and season with hot sauce, salt and pepper.

Yield: 3 cups.

Olive Salsa

1 jar pimento-stuffed green olives (do not drain)

1 can black olives, drained

1 can diced tomatoes

1 medium purple onion, chopped

2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Place first 5 ingredients into food processor. Chop until minced. Stir in salt, pepper and lemon juice. Store in airtight container in refrigerator. Can be served immediately but tastes better after marinating for an hour or more. Serve chilled with nacho chips.

Snappy Salsa

1 cup diced roma (plum) tomatoes with seeds lightly squeezed out, about ½ pound

2 tablespoons finely minced red onion

1 tablespoon minced fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon minced pickled jalapenos or to taste

¼ teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients together.

Snappy Salsa will keep for up to 3 days covered in the refrigerator, but it is best made shortly before serving.

Tropical Salsa

3 cups papaya, peeled and chopped

1 cup tomato, chopped

1 cup red bell pepper, chopped

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Combine papaya, tomato, red bell pepper, cilantro, olive oil, white wine vinegar.

Season with salt.

Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes to blend flavors.

Fresh Tomato Salsa

2 to 3 medium sized fresh tomatoes (from 1 pound to 1½ pounds), stems removed, finely diced

½ red onion, finely diced

1 jalapeño chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced

1 serrano chili pepper (stems, ribs, seeds removed), finely diced

Juice of one lime

½ cup chopped cilantro

Salt and pepper to taste

Oregano and or cumin to taste (optional)

Start with chopping up 2 medium-sized fresh tomatoes. Prepare the chilies. Be very careful while handling these hot peppers. If you can, avoid touching them with your hands. Use a fork to cut up the chilies over a small plate, or use a paper towel to protect your hands. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and hot water after handling and avoid touching your eyes for several hours. Set aside some of the seeds from the peppers. If the salsa isn’t hot enough, you can add a few for heat.

Combine all of the ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Taste. If the chilies make the salsa too hot, add some more chopped tomato. If not hot enough, carefully add a few of the seeds from the chilies, or add some ground cumin.

Let sit for an hour for the flavors to combine.

Yield: 3 to 4 cups.

Smokey Toasted Arbol Salsa

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

16 (¼-ounce total) dried arbol chile peppers, stemmed or 2 (½ ounce total) dried guajillo chilies, stemmed (see note)

3 whole garlic cloves, peeled (can use more if desired)

4 medium (about 8 ounces) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and cut in half

Salt

¼ cup water

Juice from 1 fresh lime

Put on a pair of latex gloves before beginning this recipe. Always wear gloves when working with hot chili peppers (fresh, dried or roasted chiles). Never touch your eyes when working with chilies. Please don’t learn this lesson the hard way!

Roll the arbol chilies between your fingers to loosen the seeds, then break the chilies in half and shake out as many seeds as will come out easily. If using grajillos chili peppers, tear them open and sweep out the seeds with your fingers.

Measure the vegetable oil into a large (10-inch) skillet and set over medium heat. Lay all the prepared chili peppers in the hot oil. Cook and turn constantly until the chiles are aromatic and have changed color slightly, about 30 seconds. Using a slotted spoon, scoop the chili peppers into a blender jar, leaving behind as much of the oil as possible; set aside.

Wipe out the oil from your skillet (no need to wash it), and set the skillet back over medium heat. Place the garlic cloves and tomatillos (cut side down) in the pan. When the tomatillos are browned, turned everything over and brown the other side. Remove from the heat and place the tomatillos/garlic mixture into the blender jar with the chili peppers. Add the ¼ cup water and lemon juice. Add salt and pepper to taste. Blend until nearly smooth.

Pour salsa into a bowl and let cool before serving (best if made 1 day ahead).

Yield: 1 cup.

Note: Chiles de arbol or arbol chili (ARE-bowl) are narrow, curved chilies that start out green and mature to a 3-inch to 5-inch bright red pod. The arbol chili is very hot and related to cayenne pepper. These chilies register around 50,000-65,000 on the Scoville heat unit scale (or about 7 to 8 on a 1-to-10 scale). These chili peppers are found Mexican food stores and in most Hispanic food sections of grocery stores. If you can’t find arbol or guamillo chili peppers, substitute dried cayenne chili peppers.

Tomatillo-Avocado Salsa

½ pound tomatillos, husked, rinsed, and quartered

¼ to 1 fresh jalapeno chili pepper (see note)

2 garlic cloves, peeled

½ cup lightly-packed fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1 large ripe avocado, peeled and diced

½ cup minced onion

2 to 3 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lime juice

Coarse salt to taste

In a food processor, process tomatillos, chili peppers, garlic, and cilantro until coarsely chopped.

Pour tomatillo mixture into a bowl and stir in olive oil, diced avocado, and minced onion. Add lime juice and salt to taste.

Note: You can adjust the amount of chili peppers according to your taste.

Chipotle Salsa

2 14.5-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes

2 fresh jalapenos, seeded

2 chipotle chilies in adobo sauce seeded

2 inches dried ancho chili pepper

2 cloves garlic

5 tablespoons chopped onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1½ teaspoons salt

½ teaspoon white sugar

½ teaspoon ground cumin

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together, then pour into a blender or food processor and pulse until salsa has been ground into a fine mixture (or to the consistency you desire). Let the mixture stand covered for at least an hour in the refrigerator. This will allow the flavors to blend together.

Hot, I Mean Hot Salsa

5 pounds ripe tomatoes

1¼ pounds green bell peppers, seeded and diced

6 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced

1½ habanero peppers, seeded and minced

½ pound green chili peppers, diced

¾ pounds onions, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons of white sugar

2 tablespoons of black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Bring a large sauce pan filled 2/3 of the way full with water to a boil. Blanch tomatoes. Drain and rinse with cold water, then peel and chop.

Place tomatoes in a large saucepan with enough water to cover them and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer. In another large sauce pan bring approximately 1 quart of lightly salted water to a boil. Put green bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, habanero peppers, green chili peppers, onions and garlic into the boiling water. Cook until tender (this will be about fifteen minutes).

Drain vegetables and stir into a saucepan with tomatoes. Mix in white sugar , black pepper, and chopped cilantro and parsley. Simmer approximately 15 minutes stirring occasionally. If you feel you need more water, add sparingly. Cook to desired consistency.

Peachy Avocado Salsa

2 15-ounce cans of sliced peaches, drained and diced (packed in water)

2 medium avocados, skinned, pitted and diced

2 tablespoons of lime juice

4 cups diced seeded tomatoes

½ cup diced onion

2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

2 teaspoons seeded chopped jalapeno peppers

2 cloves minced garlic

½ teaspoon salt

Combine the peaches, avocado and lime juice in a bowl, then add in the remaining ingredients. Toss lightly until mixed. Refrigerate 30 minutes, don’t refrigerate long term as the avocado will begin to turn due to exposure to air. Wear gloves when dealing with jalapeno peppers and don’t touch your face. Serve with tortilla chips or any complimentary dish you desire.

Spicy Bean Salsa

2 15-ounce cans of black-eyed peas

2 15-ounce cans of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 15-ounce cans of whole kernel corn, drained

1 cup of chopped unions

1 cup chopped green bell pepper

1 8-ounce can of diced jalapeno peppers

2 14½-ounce cans of diced tomatoes, drained

2 cups Italian-style salad dressing

1 teaspoon garlic salt

Mix all ingredients well together, cover and refrigerate let stand overnight. This allows all of the different flavors to intermix and mellow together. Serve with chips or with any complimentary dish of your choosing.

Tomato Salsa

1 sweet onion, chopped

1 green bell pepper, chopped

½ cup fresh cilantro

10 slices pickled jalapeno peppers (more or less as you desire)

12 tomatoes quartered

4 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons red wine vinegar

Juice from one lime

¼ teaspoon salt

In a food processor, pulse the onion, bell pepper, cilantro and jalapeno peppers. Pulse until finely chopped, then add tomatoes and pulse a little more until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped. Move to a covered bowl.

In another bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, lime juice and salt. Pour mixture over the tomato mixture and mix in well, re-cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Mexican Salsa

6 roma tomatoes chopped medium

1 onion diced

2 2¼-ounce can sliced black olives, drained

2 6-ounce cans marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

4 tablespoons lemon juice

4 cloves fresh minced garlic

6 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

½ teaspoon Italian seasoning

½ teaspoon ground cumin

6 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon black pepper

Stir the tomatoes, onions, olives and artichoke hearts together and set aside. Whisk lemon juice, garlic, basil, red pepper flakes, Italian seasoning, cumin, cilantro, salt and pepper together in another bowl. Once mixed together, carefully mix into the other bowl. Chill for an hour and serve.

Salsa Verde

2 anaheim chili peppers, roasted, peeled and chopped

1 pound tomatillos

2 serrano chilies

½ cup chopped red onion

1 garlic clove minced

¼ cup cilantro

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 teaspoon lime juice

¼ teaspoon salt

Combine Anaheim chilies, tomatillos, serrano chilies, onion, garlic and cilantro in food processor and blend until finely chopped. Put into bowl and add olive oil, lime juice and salt.

Jalapeno Salsa

1 tbsp olive oil

½ cup chopped jalapenos

2 cloves minced garlic

¼ cup chopped onion

3 cups seeded and chopped tomatoes

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

¼ cup cilantro

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

Heat oil in medium skillet. Add jalapenos, garlic and onion. Saute until onion is translucent. Add tomatoes and cook until soft about 5 minutes. Take off the heat and add remaining ingredients.

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