Pineapple Mango Salsa

Apparently pineapple mango salsa has been done before? O well -- long hair don't care because this stuff is good. 

Remember when I said I should be making fresh and clean things since it's summer and all? Well, I did. Here she is. She's fresh and clean and guilt-free {in my opinion, at least}.

How should you serve her? In a bowl. With chips on the side. Might I suggest Tostito's Hint of Lime or their Roasted Garlic and Black Bean chips -- both are my kryptonite. Seriously. I don't even need salsa to eat these babies. 

This salsa is also kinda perfect over fish tacos. I'm definitely looking forward to it and several summer beverages (read: Bud Light Lime -- I'm not ashamed} once Virginia's heat reaches 100F and 532,438% humidity. It happens. That is not an exaggeration.

Cheers to the start of summer, peeps! O and if you've never sliced a pineapple or a mango, Youtube it or buy this and this. See what I did right there? Totally justified new kitchen purchases for ya.  

Pineapple Mango Salsa (serves ~6)

What You'll Need

• 1 pineapple, cored and chopped (you will only need half)
• 2 mangos, chopped
• 1 jalapeño, finely diced
• 1 medium red onion, diced
• 1/2 - 3/4 C cilantro, chopped
• 2 limes, juiced
• 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)

How To Make It

• Core and chop your pineapple -- think bite size pieces since it's going to be salsa. Once cut, place half of the pineapple in a mixing bowl. The other half can be used for smoothies, snacking, or anything else you have in mind.
• Chop your mango -- again, think bite size pieces and add to the bowl.
• Finely dice your jalapeño, including the seeds and membrane (unless you can't take the heat, then remove the centers and seeds) and where's it going? Thats right, into the bowl.
• Dice your red onion and chop your cilantro and add to the bowl.
• Now everything is chopped and ready for salt and juice. Add your salt and juice from two limes. Mix to combine and serve her up! You can add more or less of any ingredient to your liking :)

-Sue

Avocado + Buffalo Chicken = Super Bowl Yummies

Hey there - hope your week is off to a great start!

I'm sure you probably watched the Super Bowl this weekend or tuned in in some capacity. Maybe you caught some of the commercials, or perhaps Beyonce's Super Bowl performance? Either way, the Super Bowl is pretty much an American holiday - at least it should be. Who's with me?

Aside from the flashy lights, NFL rivalries, and half-time performances, the only other thing more important? The food. Yep. Have you ever seen those statistics about how much pizza, wings, and avocados that we consume on Super Bowl Sunday? Talk about crazy! Go here if you haven't.

In normal fashion, I had to contribute to those statistics.

Let's talk guacamole. I am in love with it. Like seriously. We're dating. We've been going steady for a while now. I'll share him though.

Whew. Feels good to get that off my chest.

So who has the best moley? Personally, I'm a fan of Chipotle's guacamole, closely followed by Whole Foods' housemade, creamy, green goodness. Sunday morning I used my Google skills to try and find the closest version of Chipotle's guac. Much to my surprise I found this. HOW have I never found this site in all of my years of food blog/website stalking reading? Doesn't matter. Now I've found it and all of my restaurant faves will be made. That could be a good thing . . . or it could be a bad thing.

You can follow the recipe below/watch the video for the best illustration of how to make this. Just remember, don't be greedy with my guacamole - I'm sharing, remember? :)

Chipotle's Deliciously Addicting Guacamole

What You'll Need

• 6 large, ripe avocados - peeled and pitted 
• 3 cups fresh cilantro - chopped
• 1 1/2 cups fresh red onion - finely chopped
• 12 large serrano chilies - seeded and finely chopped
• 12 teaspoons fresh citrus juice - lime and lemon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt 

How To Make It

• Slice, pit, and peel your avocados out into a bowl. 
• Sprinkle salt over avocados.
• Juice your limes and lemons and add about 7 to 8 teaspoons of lime juice and 4 to 5 teaspoons of lemon juice to the mixture. 
• Use a potato masher or pastry dough blender to mash the avocados just slightly. 
• Chop cilantro, serranos, and onions and add to bowl. 
• Use potato masher or pastry dough blender to completely mix ingredients.
• The result? Smooth, delicious guacamole. 

See how easy that is?! Now for a few tips. Use 4 to 5 avocados that are ripe and 1 to 2 that are slightly under-ripe to achieve the best texture. Also, I don't like as much cilantro so I cut it and the salt down just a tad.

You don't need Super Bowl Sunday as a reason to make this! Make it on Sundays to have throughout the week. You could use it on Mexican/taco nights, for healthy snacking, or maybe add a spoonful to a warm bowl of chili!

Tomorrow I'll have the recipe up for Buffalo Chicken Dip - a recipe for which I'm known!

-Sue