Homemade Roasted Pepper Salsa

Let me tell you a little story about salsa. Once upon a time, Rob and I spent the night at my parents' house when they were living in Virginia. We made this homemade roasted pepper salsa for everyone. Because we both like garlic, we added one whole head of garlic. Or more. We like garlic.

According to my mother, the next morning she could SMELL US from the hallway. We smelled, apparently, like a room full of garlic. Now THAT sounds delicious.

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Knowing how to make salsa seems like a prerequisite to living in Texas, right?

Weirdly enough, I got my recipe from one of Rob's co-workers in North Carolina. And it's FABULOUS. I'll give you the recipe straight up and then I'll tell you how I do it. Because if you know me, you know I don't follow the recipes.

Homemade Roasted Pepper Salsa

8 Roma Tomatoes
1 can whole tomatoes
1 jalepeno, broiled and peeled
2-3 poblano peppers, broiled and peeled
1 yellow onion
1 bunch cilantro
6 cloves garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder

Chop, food process, chill, and enjoy!


My thoughts and recommendations:

I used only four roma tomatoes and way more garlic. We used our Ninja for this--I have a love affair with the Ninja. Just don't drop the blades on yourself. (For once, Rob had this accident, not me.) It processes quickly and easily. And you get to say NINJA!

The key to this recipe is the roasted peppers. If you've never roasted a pepper before, first of all, don't freak out. Second of all, why not? It's not hard, and it is really amazing. For this recipe, I almost never use jalepenos. Not that I don't like them or don't like spice, but I like poblanos or anaheims better--they are larger so there are less tiny peppers to peel. When I made this batch last week, I didn't know what kind of pepper I was buying. They were on clearance and looked like skinny poblanos, so who knows.

Roasting brings out the sweetness to the peppers. I love doing this for all kinds of things: pizza toppings (with red bells, especially), hummus, dips, or just anything. They are fabulous and somehow taste totally different to me than if you just stir-fried the peppers in a pan. Basically, stick them under the broiler in your oven (either on a pan or with a pan in the rack under them if you don't want to start a fire like me) and burn them. Yes, BURN THEM.

Then you want to peel off that crispy skin and get rid of all the seeds. I usually do this under running water while they are still hot. I don't know why I do this. Is it a thing? Or just what I like? I have no idea. Do what you will.

As for seasonings, I often put in Tony Chachere's or cayenne instead of the chili powder, and a squeeze of lime juice really adds a nice little pop. I also add more than a teaspoon of salt because I love salt and garlic about equally.

Just don't skip the pepper roasting. I promise--you'll be glad.

Oh! And if you want a fabulous green tomatillo salsa, you can find one at Being Mrs. E!

Also, linking up with the All Things Pretty Party. Go check out all the delicious food and amazing craft posts!