Salsa and More

I have tons of favorite foods.  Salsa happens to be one of them and the hotter the better.  I grow what I consider a salsa garden, which is simply tomatoes and peppers sometimes onions (not this year).  I have grown cilantro but, it is always ready way before my tomatoes so, it’s just as easy to buy it.  It would be smart for me to remember what tomatoes I have grown before and which ones work best but, I never remember.  They all get thrown into a few bags together and I never know which ones came from which plants maybe someday I will get smart (I doubt that). Have a look at the ingredients.  All I need to do is follow one of my hundreds of internet printed recipes that shows me how to make salsa.  Yes, I do have tons of recipes but, I never follow any of them.  I told you I am not smart so, one batch of salsa never tastes like another.

Tomatoes, Serrano peppers, Jalapeno peppers, Onions, Cilantro, and Garlic

Now my complaints about salsa.  It takes me forever to make it. This batch took me 3 hours.

1.  I first peel the tomatoes by dropping them in boiling water followed by an ice bath.  The skins peel right off.
2.  Then I cut off the little core/stem thingy and cut them in half.
3. Next, I squeeze to get most of the seeds and the clear gel stuff out.
4. After a quick slice, I throw them in a food processor and chop them up.
5. Then they get put into a pot.
6. The onions, garlic, peppers, and cilantro get coarsely chopped and thrown into the food processor.
7. They get added to the pot with the tomatoes.
8. Simmer until I get too tired of waiting or until it gets to a consistency that I like.  This took me over an hour this time.

Those steps don’t sound like much but it is time consuming, at least for me.  I was able to fill 4 quart size containers from my first batch of this summer.

What do you eat salsa with?  Chips of course.  I rarely eat chips anymore.  So, this is my other complaint about salsa.  This is me being selfish.  I could make it, buy chips, and bring it in to work for everyone.  But why should I waste my time for everyone else’s pleasure?  I told you I am selfish.  I did bring in some chips and salsa for everyone one at work today.

Since I cut back on my chip eating, everything else I eat gets kicked up with salsa.  Salsa instead of salad dressing.  Salsa on my fish and chicken.  Salsa mixed in my couscous (“the food so nice they named it twice”).  Salsa on top of spaghetti squash.  If I ate Captain Crunch, I would top it with salsa.  As you can see I do eat a lot of it but, I miss my chips and salsa.

Something new I needed to try.  I heard about this frozen dessert made from whey protein.  I am trying to eat “cleaner”.  I am not sure If clean is the right word but, less processed stuff, lower bad fat, lower sugar, lower salt, etc.  I am also trying to add more protein and fiber to my daily eats.  So, when I heard about this Arctic Zero, I had to try it out.

No Guilt Dessert – At least not from me.

 

A whole frozen pint is only 150 calories, 14 grams of protein, 8 grams of fiber, and no fat.  Has to taste like a frozen Styrofoam/cardboard box mixture, right?  Actually it was awesome.  I can eat all sorts of stuff and would have been ok with the Styrofoam combo but, this actually could pass for a satisfying ice cream dessert.  It’s a bit expensive at $5.50 a pint but, I won’t eat it every day and I can get 2 servings out of it so, I highly recommend Arctic Zero.

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