Who doesn’t love chips and dip? Always approachable, tasty and easy to eat in large quantities without too much caloric guilt. Making party dips such as salsa, guacamole and cheese dip are usually pretty simple recipes to follow (i.e. chop and mix). Added perk: for some reason, people are so impressed that you successfully made something that usually comes in a tub for $3.99 from their local grocery store. Also, don’t be afraid to experiment with other ingredients to make each recipe your own.
The following recipe is inspired by Salsa Roja on One Particular Kitchen blog. After many different variations, the version below is my favorite. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
- 7 vine-ripened tomatoes
- 1 large yellow onion
- 11 serrano peppers
- 11 cloves of garlic
- 1-2 tbsp honey
- 1/2 tbsp of salt
- 1/4 cup cilantro
Instructions:
Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Cover a large baking sheet with foil. Cut tomatoes in half and place cut side up on baking sheet. Peel onion, cut in half and place cut side up on baking sheet. Remove stems from serrano peppers (remove seeds to remove heat). Place peppers and garlic cloves on baking sheet.
Bake until tomatoes are soft, onion looks translucent and peppers have a nice char. If garlic looks like it is too charred, remove from baking sheet.
Let everything cool, then place in food processor with salt and cilantro. Blend well and taste. Depending on your preferred level of spice, you may or may not want to add honey. I found that 1-2 tbsp of honey is perfect for me. This recipe makes about 6-7 cups of salsa. Enjoy!
Other ways to reduce spice:
- Remove seeds from peppers
- Add more roasted tomatoes
- Add citrus (lemons, limes, etc)
