Simple Salsa

People are always raving about my salsa. I've seen many well intended individuals sit down to eat just a little bit and then find it impossible to stop eating. On more than one occaision an empty container has been returned to me with a tale of disbelief at having eaten the whole thing in one sitting.

"I don't know why I did that? I just couldn't stop."

Honestly though, it's the easiest thing in the world to make, and so much better (and cheaper) than store bought.

This is all you need:

• 2 14 oz. cans of organic tomatoes, or 1 large can - drained
• 2 jalapeno peppers
• 1/4 C fresh cilantro
• 1/2 of a large onion
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• sea salt and pepper to taste

I use a food processor. A blender works just as well. Chop the onions and peppers first. The heat of a pepper is in the seeds and pulp, so you may want to remove them to control the heat.  Add the cilantro, tomatoes (drain the juice and save it for soup), lemon juice and some salt/ pepper to taste. Just pulse a little, it doesn't take much to break down the tomatoes and it's nice if they're a little chunky.

We keep this in the fridge and use it on everything from eggs to buritos. I love to make egg white omlettes with soy cheese, soy sausage and peppers. Adding the salsa to the omelette adds a whole new dimension and is a great topping as well. But everyone's favorite way to eat my salsa is with corn tortilla chips.

Brush organic, store bought corn tortillas with a little olive oil, cut them into quarters and place them on a cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees until crisp. Keep an eye on them, they cook fairly quickly. You may want to turn them half way through.

Artist, environmentalist and wellness advocate, Greg Laviolette, has a fantastic recipe for whole grain tortillas (see video to the right) that would be an even healthier option than store bought tortillas.

And I have to brag that my food processor is part of my environmental lifestyle. It's a "re-use". I found it at a yard sale for $6 three years ago. It's been amazing and doesn't owe me a dime :~D