Piquant Pineapple Salsa

My apologies for not having my own photos lately. We're not cooking much with my foot such as it is, so I've resorted to pulling some photos off the internet. That's a bit dicey, though, since some photos are copyrighted. The above came from a diabetes website. Hope they don't mind. But I'm still chugging along wanting to post my recipes. Eventually I assume I'll have real photos for them (and will go back and insert them) without resorting to this subterfuge.

My love affair with salsa goes way back to my childhood. Growing up in San Diego, my parents and I frequented on a weekly basis, without fail, a Mexican restaurant in Old Town dating to the early 1950's. It was called the Aztec Dining Room. When the matriarch of the family died in about 1985, the family closed the restaurant down. Although I didn't live there anymore, I was very sad to hear it. Their family recipes were kept very close to the chest, as the saying goes, but were better than most. My Dad used to order their chile verde con queso, #6 on the menu, which is not what is currently served by that name in countless Mexican restaurants (pork and green chiles). This was a tomato and green chile-based sauce with a large layer of cheese melted on the plate. My Dad would place a flour tortilla in the middle of this steaming dish and scoop the tomato cheese sauce up and over the tortilla, adding a layer of their good home made refried beans, another tortilla, more beans, then the rest of the sauce scooped around and over the top. My Dad rarely ordered anything other than that item. It was muy delicioso as he'd often tell the waitresses every time he ordered it, or the owner, Mrs. Sandoval.

The restaurant made their own salsa, though it was not the salsa fresca served most places now. I suppose it was made with canned tomato sauce. Good nevertheless. I remember dipping hundreds of crisp tortilla chips into their sauce over the years.

Then about 20 years ago I visited Santa Fe, New Mexico. Since I'd read up on what to do in Santa Fe, I knew a meal at the Coyote Cafe was high on my list. And it was there, watching Mark Miller (now fairly famous in restaurant circles with multiple restaurants to his name - that night he was making cocktails in the bar), that I came to know about fruit salsa. This Pineapple Salsa recipe comes from his book, The Coyote Cafe Cookbook. Salsas are a regular part of my summer repertoire now. I make both a pineapple one, and a mango one, but use the same recipe. I love it served on grilled fish, grilled chicken and even steak. It's quite versatile, really. The lime juice makes a difference, so don't be tempted to use lemon juice. And I always add more cilantro, because I like it.

Pineapple Salsa or Mango Salsa
Recipe: Adapted from the Coyote Cafe Cookbook by Mark Miller
Servings: 8
1 cup fresh pineapple or mango -- (see notes)
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar -- or substitute
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar -- seasoned
2 whole serrano peppers -- minced (or less to suit your taste)
1/4 cup red bell pepper -- minced
1 Tbsp lime juice
1 Tbsp cilantro -- minced

Use a very ripe pineapple. Peel, core and finely dice the pineapple or prepare in food processor. In a bowl combine all of the ingredients. Taste and add more lime juice and chiles as needed. Stir and refrigerate for a couple of hours. Will keep for about a week.

NOTES : I have yet to find any grilled meat, poultry or fish that doesn't go well with this. I always make a larger quantity because it's so good on other things. I buy a whole pineapple and just mix and taste as needed. The lime juice makes a difference - lemon juice just doesn't taste right. And, I always use more cilantro.
Per Serving: 17 Calories; trace Fat (5.2% calories from fat); trace Protein; 4g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 0mg Cholesterol; 1mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 0 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

To view a printable recipe, click on title at top.