Best 6 Salsa Mexicana Recipes

SALSA MEXICANA

Steps:

• Combine first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Season to taste with coarse salt. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.

SHRIMP AND COTIJA ENCHILADAS WITH SALSA VERDE AND CREMA MEXICANA

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. Line large rimmed baking sheet with foil; brush lightly with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange tomatillos, poblano chiles, cut side down, and garlic cloves on prepared baking sheet. Broil until tomatillos and chiles begin to soften and blacken in several spots, watching closely to prevent burning, about 10 minutes (do not turn). Remove from oven. Let stand until cool enough to handle, about 15 minutes.
• Transfer tomatillos to processor. Peel garlic and add to processor. Peel charred parts of chiles; coarsely chop chiles. Add generous 1/3 cup chopped chiles to processor (reserve remaining chiles for enchilada filling). Add 2 cups cilantro and 1 cup green onions to processor; using on/off turns, blend until coarse puree forms. Season salsa verde to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer 1 1/2 cups salsa verde to shallow bowl.
• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chopped red onion and sauté until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle shrimp with salt and pepper. Add shrimp, oregano, cumin, and remaining chopped chiles to skillet; sauté just until shrimp are almost opaque but not completely cooked through, tossing often, 3 to 31/2 minutes. Remove shrimp mixture from heat.
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush 15x10x2- inch glass baking dish with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Spread 1/2 cup salsa verde from processor in bottom of dish. Stack tortillas; wrap in damp paper towels and place on plate. Microwave tortillas on high just until soft and pliable, 1 to 11/2 minutes. Working with 1 tortilla at a time, dip tortilla into bowl with 1 1/2 cups salsa verde, turning to coat both sides evenly. Transfer to prepared baking dish. Place 4 shrimp and some onion-chile mixture down center of tortilla, then sprinkle rounded tablespoonful cheese over. Roll up tortilla, enclosing shrimp and onion-chile filling. Place seam side down in dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas, shrimp, onion-chile mixture, and cheese. Spread 2 cups salsa verde from processor over enchiladas.
• Bake enchiladas just until heated through and cheese melts, about 20 minutes. Using spatula, transfer 2 enchiladas to each of 6 plates. Spoon any remaining salsa verde over; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Drizzle with crema and garnish with red onion slices and additional chopped cilantro, if desired.
• Available in the produce section of some supermarkets and at Latin markets.

ESSENTIAL CHOPPED TOMATO-SERRANO SALSA (SALSA MEXICANA CLASSICA)

Steps:

• Core the tomatoes, then cut in half widthwise and squeeze out the seeds if you wish (it will give the sauce a less rustic appearance). Finely dice the flesh by slicing it into roughly 1/4-inch thick pieces, then cutting each slice into small dice. Scoop into a bowl.
• Cut the chiles in half lengthwise (wear rubber gloves if your hands are sensitive to the piquancy of the chiles) and scrape out the seeds if you wish (not only will this make the salsa seem less rustic, but it will make it a little less picante). Chop the chiles as finely as you can, then add them to the tomatoes. Carefully bunch up the cilantro sprigs, and, with a sharp knife, slice them 1/16-inch thick, stems and all, working your way down from the leafy end until you run out of leaves. Scoop the chopped cilantro into the tomato mixture along with the optional garlic. Next, finely dice the onion with a knife (a food processor will turn it into a sour mess), scoop it into a small strainer, then rinse it under cold water. Shake to remove the excess water and add to the tomato mixture. Taste and season with lime juice and salt, and let stand if you have a little time, for the flavors to meld before using or scooping into a salsa dish and serving.

SALSA FRESCA / SALSA MEXICANA (PICO DE GALLO)

Steps:

• Chop all veggies fine.
• Add lime juice, cilantro, and salt, adjust to taste.

SALSA ROJA MEXICANA

Steps:

• Place the whole tomatoes in a saucepan with the peppers; cover with water and bring to a boil.
• Simmer gently until the tomatoes are fairly soft but not falling apart - about 5 minutes.
• Drain, but reserve 1/3 cup of the cooking liquid.
• Mix the bouillon into the 1/3 cup reserved cooking liquid and pour into the jar of a blender.
• Add garlic; blend until the garlic is finely dispersed throughout the liquid.
• Add the tomatoes and peppers to the blender jar, and blend for a few seconds. Do not over blend. It should have a rough texture.
• Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a sauce pan.
• Add the chopped onion and saute a couple of minutes.
• Add the sauce from the blender.
• Cook on high heat, stirring from time to time scraping the bottom of the pan until the sauce is reduced - about 6 - 8 minutes.
• Taste, and add salt if necessary.

SALSA MEXICANA

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the tomatoes, chiles, onion, cilantro, lime juice, and olive oil. Toss to combine, season to taste with salt, and serve.