Ass Kickin Salsa (Pico de Gallo)

This is one of my favorite things to make and eat and it is so healthy for you too! I bring this and my 7 Layer dip to many potlucks, parties and tailgates and people love it. It is especially good and refreshing in the summer, but I usually have a batch of this in the fridge year round.

I call it "Ass Kickin" because I love spicy food and I put enough jalapeños in it to feel the kick. This is a very versatile and variable recipe. If you do not like spicy as much as I do, start with maybe only half a jalapeño or none at all. You can always add the heat but can't take it out

Besides eating it with tortilla chips, I also put this on everything. I put it in tacos, burritos, wraps, on top of burgers or hot dogs, inside quesadillas, into scrambled eggs, on top of cottage cheese, even on a salad. And it helps to make one of the best Bloody Marys’ in town; I throw it in with all the ingredients and blend together (recipe coming soon).

I usually make a huge batch but if you cut my recipe in half it will work. All the ingredients can be adjusted to taste. Meaning if you don't like onions or cilantro, leave them out. Same with the jalapeños, if you do not like it too hot start with half or less of the jalapeño.

I use:

6-8 large tomatoes

1 large white onion

4 cloves of garlic

2 raw fresh jalapeños

2 sprigs of fresh cilantro

1 lime or lemon

I wash all my produce with a store bought produce wash to try and get as many pesticides off my fruit and veggies. But you can wash it in just light warm sink water.

Thanks to my handy dandy Ninja Chopper this recipe takes me about 15-20 minutes from start to finish to make. But it can also be chopped by hand or in a food processor.

 If you are chopping by hand be very careful when working with the jalapeños. The oils can get into your skin or under your nails and if you rub anything on your body it will burn. So make sure to wash your hands a few times with soap and warm water. I like to use plastic gloves or 2 sandwich bags on my hands when I am working with them or onions to protect my hands.

 Chop them all up and put them all in the bowl.

Cut the lime or lemon if you prefer at the end. To get a nice juicy lime or lemon, roll it on the counter under your palm with a little force a few times or put it in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds. Cut it in half, if there are any seeds, take them out. They are NOT yummy in the salsa and squeeze the juice into it, this not only adds a lot of the flavor but marinates the veggies and allows them to keep in the fridge.

I use salt very little in my kitchen but feel free to add salt to taste and mix everything together. If you do not like cilantro, leave that out as well.

It is now ready to be enjoyed. Best if you let sit an hour to allow the flavors to blend. Remix before serving. This will keep up to 2 weeks in the fridge.