I don't understand all the commotion about the "new" fat-free salsas; real salsa is fat and cholesterol free to begin with. You might as well say corn oil has no cholesterol. (Hmmm...there's an advertising concept...wonder if Madison Avenue's interested...) A quick nutrition pointer: fats and cholesterol are products of the animal kingdom. (Oils, on the other hand, often come from vegetable sources)
Ingredients
8 medium to large tomatoes 1 medium white onion 1 bunch green onions 1 or more jalapeno peppers 1 bunch cilantro (optional)
Chop. Mix. Wait.
(What, you want more directions? Okay, here goes: chop the jalapeno pepper very finely, add to a bowl. Chop the onions, add. Chop the tomatoes roughly. Add. The salsa can be eaten right away, but it's best if it's allowed to blend overnight. I think this will keep up to a week, but my salsa has never lasted that long.
Takes about 15 minutes
Ingredients
10 ounce bag of tortilla chips (ideally unsalted)
Jalapeno peppers
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese
Spread the chips onto a baking pan. Spread the cheese over the top. Spread the jalapenos over the top of that. Set oven to bake at 300. Put in nacho platter; wait about 10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve with salsa.
Ingredients
2 whole California (rough skinned) avocadoes
1 lime
Cumin
Seasoned salt
Tabasco sauce
Note that I highly recommend the California or rough skinned avocado; Florida avocadoes (the smooth skinned kind) are a bit too watery to make good anything. Your avocado should be fairly soft. Your best bet is to buy them at the supermarket somewhat hard, stick them in a paperbag on the counter for a few days to let them ripen, then use them.
Skin and pit avocado; mash. Add spices and tabasco to taste (don't overdo the tabasco: guacamole shouldn't be "hot"). Squeeze lime juice and mix well. If you're not going to use it right away, you should put saran wrap right on top of the guacamole (otherwise it will discolor...perfectly safe and still good, but it's unsightly).
Cooking time: 3 hours
Ingredients
3 pounds stew beef
1 medium onion, minced
5 garlic cloves, minced
3 28 ounce cans of whole (not crushed!) tomatoes, opened
1/3 cup of chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
Cooking oil
Grated cheese
Cooked starch (pasta, rice, or black --- not pinto --- beans)
(Notice that the beans are optional. The issue of beans vs. no beans was a major factor in the War of Texan Independence (from Mexico, that is). See, Santa Anna wanted to force all Texans to include beans in their chili...just kidding. However, you will get a lot of arguments over whether or not real chili has beans or not. My general impression, though, is that a lot of people who say they don't like chili mean they don't like chili with beans.
Dice beef into 1/2 inch cubes. Brown beef in 5 quart pot. Remove beef with a slotted spoon. Add half the onions, garlic, and cook until onions are translucent. Add beef, tomatoes, bring to boil then reduce to simmer. Cook about 3 hours. About half an hour before serving, add the chili powder (the amount listed will produce a very mild chili). Serve over starch. Add the raw onions and cheddar cheese to taste.