Olé! It's Salsa Time!

I'm one choosy woman when it comes to salsa.  I don't like it to come in a vacuumed-sealed jar on an inner aisle of a grocery store.  And it most certainly better not taste like chunky, spicy ketchup.  Blech.  If I buy store-bought, it has to at least come from the refrigerated section.  My favorite store-bought salsa is Trader Joe's Salsa Especial.  OMG.  So wonderfully delicious.

I'm definitely not an expert on making salsas, but it is something that is not very hard, especially when you have good ingredients.  One of my favorite salsas to make after I had something similar at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh is a pineapple-mango salsa. It pairs really well with fish, chicken, even beans (including tonight's Refried Black Bean Quesadillas - I've posted the refried bean recipe here).

Pineapple Mango Salsa

1 ripe mango, peeled, seeded and cut into a small dice (mangoes are ripe when the flesh gives under your thumb)

1 cup pineapple, cut into a small dice (it's okay to used canned - I usually buy the pineapple rings)

1 minced jalapeno pepper, seeds and ribs removed

1/2 red onion, chopped finely

1 red bell pepper, chopped finely

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a bowl or plastic container.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to let the flavors combine together.

I plan on delving into the world of homemade salsas more regularly as it is a fun way to make boring food lively.  I'll keep you all updated on my experimentation!  Until then, try this out-of-the-ordinary salsa sometime soon.