Our morning news anchor, Rob Elgas, challenged me to make some salsas this week. He shared his wife Wendy’s mango salsa recipe, which is great. It’s a nice combination of both spicy and sweet. I took on the challenge and made two of my own, a black bean and corn salsa and a Serrano tomatillo salsa. But, I also reached out to my Facebook friends and a few shared some pretty amazing ones, too. Combined, we have six recipes using a number of unique ingredients, from watermelon to jicama. As a side note, if you want to try some of these but don’t like cilantro, try substituting fresh oregano. You might be pleasantly surprised by the taste. Also, to make the segment even more festive, I invited Mariachi Los Palmeros to join me on the Studio 5 plaza. Their music added just the right flavor to make my salsa segment complete.
Mango Salsa
courtesy Wendy Elgas
makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
2 Mangos, peeled and diced
1 bunch Cilantro, leaves only, chopped
1 cu Red Onion, diced
2 Jalapeños, seeded and chopped
juice of 1 Lime
Method
Combine ingredients in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Jennifer's Traditional Salsa
courtesy of Jennifer McWilliams
makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
2 lg Tomatoes, diced
2 Jalapeños, seeded and diced
1 cu White Onions, diced
1 tsp Salt
2 cloves Garlic, minced
Method
Toss ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Tony's Watermelon Salsa
courtesy of Tony Watson
makes about 3 cups
Ingredients
2 1/2 cu Watermelon, diced
2 Kiwi, peeled and diced
1 cu White Onion, diced
1 med Red Bell Pepper, seeded and diced
1 Jalapeño, seeded and diced
1 bunch Cilantro, leaves only, chopped
1/2 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 tsp Salt
1/4 tsp Pepper
Method
Toss ingredients together in a large bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Janeane's Serrano Salsa
courtesy of Kenya Vernado and Janeane Vinson
makes 3 cups
Ingredients
3 Serrano Peppers
3/4 bunch Cilantro, leaves only, chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
2 cloves Garlic, minced
1 1/2 cans Petite Tomatoes, drained (28 oz size)
1 tsp Ground Cumin
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
juice 1 Lime
Method
Place serranos in a pot of water over high heat and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from heat and remove stems and roughly chop. Place serranos, cilantro, onion and garlic in a food processor and process until well incorporated. Pour mixture in a large bowl and add remaining ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Wayne's Black Bean Corn Salsa
makes about 4 cups
Ingredients
1 can Black Beans, rinsed and drained (15 oz size)
1 can Whole Kernel Corn, rinsed and drained (15 oz size)
1 lg Banana Pepper, seeded and chopped
1 lg Tomatoes, chopped
1 cu Fresh Oregano, chopped
2 Tomatillos, chopped
1 cu Jicama, chopped
1 tbl Cider Vinegar
1 tsp Chili Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 tsp Pepper
Method
Toss ingredients together in a large bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Salsa Serrano Tomatilla
makes about 2 cups
Ingredients
6 Serrano Peppers, seeded and chopped
1 bunch Cilantro, leaves only, chopped
4 tomatillos
1 tsp Salt
1 Lime
Method
Place all ingredients in a food process or and pulse until mixture is uniformly chopped into small pieces. Transfer to a sealable container and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.
Mariachi Los Palmeros
I also had the pleasure of having Mariachi Los Palmeros performing during my segment on the NBC Chicago Plaza. The group was formed in 1977 by brothers Ramiro and Gabriel Zamora. Since their formation they have performed for Mayor Daley, President Clinton and President Bush, Senator Martin Sandoval, Senator Munoz, Alderman Danny Solis. They also performed for the Latino Caucus in the Governor's Mansion this year. They performed in Springfield on the day the Dream Act was being signed and were featured in The Huffington Post because of it.
If you'd like more information about Mariachi Los Palmeros, you can contact lead members Ramiro Azmora and Gabriel Zamora by phone:
Ramiro Zamora
Phone Number: 773-396-7939
Gabriel Zamora
Phone Number 773-398-8491
You can also visit the band online at http://www.myspace.com/LosPalmerosDeChicago to hear their recordings.
If you have any questions or comments, you send me an email at wayne@waynesweekend.com or follow me on Facebook.