Pico de Gallo

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our plans for the weekend are in place, and, despite predictions of heavy rains, we plan to soldier on. We'll simply move everything, save for grilling, inside. Should you drive by and look up the hill, you'll see a huge umbrella on the deck of the topmost house. We'll be the folks you see grilling under its protective cover. I've planned two themed meals for the holiday. I'm leaving the third in the hands of the kitchen gods and praying they'll be kind to me. I've been working on condiments for the Mexican-style meal I've planned for tomorrow night. If all goes according to Hoyle, we'll be having fish tacos and fajitas along with numerous sides and sundry Southwestern fixin's. I thought this weekend would be an ideal time to add some of these condiments to my recipe collection. Fast and simple has real appeal to me on these long holiday weekends. I hope it does for you as well. I realize that you can buy any of the condiments I'll be featuring, but I've always had a quiet chuckle when I see "fresh" pico de gallo or "fresh" mango salsa with an expiration date stamped on their containers. Tomatoes are still being imported here. They look very anemic, so I've been ripening them in a brown paper bag, hoping to get better color and flavor for the salsas I'm preparing. The technique helps, but it will never replace the blood red color and sweet flavor of garden grown tomatoes. We make do. Pico de gallo is a fresh tomato salsa that is served with many Mexican dishes. It is very easy to make and homemade versions have far more flavor than anything that can be purchased in the supermarket. A recipe is needed only to list the ingredients required to make the salsa. The directions can be summed up in three words, chop, combine and chill. That, literally, is all there is to it. Here's the recipe.

Pico de Gallo...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
1- 1/2 cups seeded, diced tomatoes
1/4 cup diced red onion
1 tablespoon diced jalapenos
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Juice of 2 limes
2 tablespoons cilantro, plus extra for garnish
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Yield: 2 cups.








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You might also enjoy these recipes:
Sun-Dried Tomato Salsa - My Favorite Recipe Collection
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Fire Roasted Salsa Verde - Gastronomical Sovereignty
Pineapple and Banana Salsa - Closet Cooking
Peach Salsa Cruda - Wicked Good Dinner
Black Bean Mango Salsa - Mommy's Kitchen
Fire Roasted Corn Salsa - No Recipes
Strawberry and Mango Salsa - Two Peas and Their Pod
Black Bean Salsa - Christine's Pantry
Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa - Perry's Plate

Poblano Chicken

I'm heading to central Mexico today. The city of San Luis Potosi claims this dish as it's own, but I think the French may have had their fingers in the pie. Could it be that all cultures have their own version of bechamel? This wonderful dish uses poblano chilies to flavor a bechamel sauce and produce a gratin that is company worthy in minutes. The original recipe calls for Mexican crema, butter and a lot of cheese, but I've lightened it for today's more heath-conscious cooks.

Poblano Chicken

Ingredients:
6 (6-oz each) boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 teaspoon kosher salt + salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 large Poblano chile
1/2 cup 2 % milk, divided use
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided use
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
3/4 cup light sour cream
1 lime, zest and juice
Pinch of nutmeg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
6 oz. pepper Jack cheese, coarsely grated

Directions:
1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Coat an 8 x 11 x 2-inch baking dish with oil or nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
2) Use a mallet to pound chicken breast halves to a 1/4-inch thickness. Sprinkle both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3) Remove stem, seeds and membranes from the chile. Place chile in a blender. Add 1/4 cup milk. Puree.
4) Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a small pan over medium-high heat. Add flour and stir until smooth and lightly brown. Stir in chile puree. When smooth, add reserved 1/4 cup milk, sour cream, lime juice and zest and nutmeg. Stir constantly over low heat until mixture thickens. Add salt to taste.
5) Melt reserved 1 tablespoon butter in a large skillet. Stir in vegetable oil. Place chicken in skillet and saute over medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to prepared baking dish.
6) Cover chicken with Poblano sauce, sprinkle with cheese and bake in upper-third of oven for 10 to 12 minutes. Serve hot. Yield: 6 servings.