Weather: 9 degrees, clear and bright
What I’m listening to: Mah Na Mah Na, The Muppets
It is time to revivist this classic (one of the first recipes I ever posted) Alaska from Scratch recipe – Pantry Salsa – and give it a spicier, smokier makeover. Chipotles are marvelous little things. They sit very unassumingly in small cans in the pantry just waiting to be used. Pop them open and the smallest amount will add heat and intensity and depth of flavor to dozens of dishes.
A kitchen tip about cans of chipotle in adobo. Often, recipes only require one or two chipotles (and some of my recipes only require a bit of the adobo sauce and none of the actual peppers). What to do with the remainder of the can? I keep my leftover chipotles plus all that good sauce in a tightly sealed glass jar with a clasp in the refrigerator. They last for a couple of months this way. They also freeze nicely and you can slice off segments of frozen chipotle for your dishes, without having to thaw the whole batch. You can also portion them out and freeze them in an ice cube tray, if you want to get really snazzy.
Chipotle Pantry Salsa
A quick and easy homemade salsa with a good smoky kick.
Yields: About a pint of salsa
- 1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juices
- 2 chipotles in adobo
- 1/4 cup chopped onion
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1/2 cup cilantro leaves
- juice of half a lime
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Throw all the ingredients into a blender or food processor. Pulse until salsa is chopped and combined, but not liquefied. You want some texture remaining.
Pour into a glass jar with a lid and refrigerate at least two hours to allow flavors to mingle.
Serve with tortilla chips or as an accompaniment to your entree/salad, etc.
