Salsa! Looking for the Hot Stuff?

Too Hot to Handle

Capsaicin is the ingredients in peppers that makes them hot or feel like your mouth is on fire. The more fiery the pepper, the more capsaicin it has and it’s been proven to have health benefits to top it off. It has been said to release endorphins that help with pain and has also shown to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects in lab studies, however there is still more research to be done.

Think about it: at the grocery store, you pick out fresh chiles de arbol, serrano peppers, onions, tomatoes, garlic, lime and cilantro. Red or green, roasting the peppers to get the flavors out, boiling the tomatoes then blending everything together, you’re not getting anything more than vegetables in a sauce. Talk about getting your veggies into your diet!

Although your reason for eating such devilish foods is because of your heritage, more and more people are catching on. From the salsas that make your lips feel swollen and change your taste buds for days, to the mild pico de gallo that you find in most restaurants, the possibilities for deliciousness are endless.

Air! Where is the air?

As shocking as it might have been at the time, there was always something about walking in to the kitchen just to have your head surrounded by a cloud of smoke. Not because mami or papi was burning food, but because the spicy chiles that they were boiling and roasting for the delicious homemade salsa released their elements into the air making you choke upon entering the space.

Funny enough, about 30 minutes later you were sitting at the dinner table taking spoonful upon spoonful of that delicious salsa that almost suffocated you on first contact. Besides Besides assaulting all five senses you have because it’s just too hot, salsa is actually good for you. Possibly one of the best condiments you can have on your kitchen table!

Some Like it Hot

The next time you’re yearning for a spicy kick, make your own! Check out this super easy recipe for a batch of green salsa:

• 1 small onion
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 5 green serrano peppers
• 5 green tomatoes
• Half a bushel of cilantro (handful of cilantro)
• Salt to taste

Boil all the ingredients until soft. Toss them in a blender and blend until it turns to your desired consistency. Pour into a bowl and enjoy with chips or as a sauce for any of your favorite meals! Play with the recipe until you create your own with your flavor of choice.