14 DAY TRIAL // Whenever we talk about salsa, it's quite easy for us to get lost in a vision of a world filled with colorful, spicy and deliciously flavored dishes, and forget that the very "salsa" word actually means "sauce" - and not just any sauce, but a specific combination of chopped tomatoes, onions, chilies and cilantro, characteristic of Mexican cuisine. However, salsa has suffered the fate of many other traditional brands of food and due to its consumer success, it became an umbrella concept that readily designates a huge variety of tomato-based hot sauces used as dips and side dishes, with varying degrees of faithfulness to the original Mexican recipes. Nutritionists say that apart from a delicious treat for die-hard Mexican food lovers, salsa is in fact very good news for all those with a passion for healthy eating, and that one of the cleverest moves we could do this year would be to replace our traditional ketchup bottles with one of the thousands of home-made salsas.
A short while ago, most of us associated salsa originally with Mexican food and (maybe) with an ingenious dip for chips. However, sales reports confirm that salsa has become more popular than ketchup, and nutritionists say that for once, this may actually be good news. In other words, salsa - especially the home-made variety - is currently seen as a viable possibility of actually enriching our eating habits and working more fruits, vegetables and flavor into our daily diets. With a minimum amount of effort, we can come up with hundreds of salsa recipes that will never get boring. Salsa can be cooked (with added vinegar for a more healthy kick) or uncooked (fresh salsa). These days, salsa recipes don't stick to the traditional mix of vegetables, and some of the more daring ones now combine vegetables and fruits and may even leave out the traditional tomatoes. Popular examples include black beans, pepper, orange and avocado, mango and avocado with cilantro, peach, cucumber and lime or pineapple, corn and mango.
In more concrete terms, forget about the ketchup and start adding salsa to your day-to-day dishes such as grilled chicken, baked potatoes, eggs, fish or even hamburgers. The secret, nutritionists say, is to stop using salsa as a mere dressing (that is, in small quantities and only occasionally) and start eating larger portions of the good stuff. The various vegetables and fruits in salsa will then supply a wide range of antioxidants, vitamins, phytochemicals and minerals potassium to your daily diet. "Dressings and sauces that are full of fat are the undoing of many an otherwise healthy meal. That's why we included three salsa recipes and even a salad with salsa for dressing in The New American Plate Cookbook," comes a surprise statement from Jeff Prince, Vice President for the American Institute for Cancer Research. "Salsa adds an extra serving of fruits or vegetables and lots of flavor to your meal".
A word of caution from the ever-helpful Wikipedia, "care should be taken in the preparation and storage of salsa, since many raw-served varieties can serve as a growth medium for potentially dangerous bacteria, especially when unrefrigerated". And just to give you a feel of how easy it is to make your own home-made bowls of savory, hot, healthy salsa, here are just two very simple ideas via BellyBites.
Peach Ginger Salsa Ingredients:
1 cup cubed peaches (about 2) 1 cup cubed seeded tomato (about 3) 1/4 cup sliced green onions 2 teaspoon sugar 2 teaspoon cider vinegar 1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger 1/8 teaspoon salt 1 dash of fresh ground pepper
Combine all ingredients and stir well, then chill and serve with chicken, pork or fish.
1/2 cup contains: Calories: 40, Fat: 0.2g, Protein: 0.8g, Carb: 10g, Fiber: 1.5g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 78mg, Calcium: 9mg
Fresh Salsa Ingredients:
6 small tomatoes (or 3 large tomatoes) 1/2 medium onion finely chopped 1 clove garlic, finely minced 2 serrano or jalapeno peppers, finely chopped 3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped 1/8 teaspoon oregano, finely crushed 1/8 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon pepper 1/2 avocado diced (black skin) Juice of 1 lime
Mix all the above ingredients in a glass bowl, chill and serve after 4 to 5 hours.
1/2 cup contains: Each serving provides: Calories: 42, Total fat: 2g, Saturated fat: Less than 1g, Cholesterol: 0mg, Sodium: 44mg, Calcium: 12mg, Iron: 1mg
