Hot weather meals: Salsa from scratch

When the weather starts to heat up, the temptation to cook a nice piping hot meal is greatly reduced. First of all, you don't want that extra heat building up in your kitchen. And second of all, you don't want to eat hot food on a hot day. Isn't it better to have something chilled and refreshing, yet still filling?

Enter: homemade salsa. Technically known as "salsa fresca," this dish is incredibly easy to prepare and flexible in the ingredients department. You can use it as a dip with tortilla chips, as a salad topping, or as a side dish for a quick-fry meal of fajitas.

Salsa fresca has three basic components: heat, acidity, and flavor. To make salsa, simply choose one or two ingredients from each category, chop them up, mix them together, and let it sit for about an hour in the fridge. Couldn't be easier!

HEAT
Jalapenos are the traditional choice. Minced fresh jalapenos are the best option, but you can use the canned chopped kind in a pinch. For more heat, add a splash of hot sauce, or use a hotter pepper (like habaneros).

ACIDITY
Tomatoes are kind of a necessity when it comes to salsa. Buy fresh Roma tomatoes if you can. Canned diced tomatoes will work, but they won't taste as good. A typical salsa will be about 3/4ths diced tomatoes, so adjust your amounts accordingly.

In addition to the tomato base, you will want to add a splash of something acidic. Lemon juice or lime juice works best. White vinegar is okay if that's all you have. You don't need very much: only about 1-2 teaspoons per cup of salsa, just enough to bring out the other flavors.

FLAVOR
Here's where you can really get creative. A typical salsa will include minced white onions, and possibly minced cilantro (if you're a cilantro lover). But you can also use shallots, garlic, red onions, green onions, rinsed canned corn, and more. Customize your own recipe! And don't forget to add a dash of salt.

Image courtesy Flickr/my_amii