Homemade Salsa and Tortilla Chips

As a sophomore in college, I had moved out of the dorms into an apartment with a kitchen, and had a roommate in the culinary arts program. Maybe it was me wanting to prove that I didn't need classes to be a good cook, maybe it was homesickness and longing for Mom's home cooking, but I took every chance I could to cook and show off my skills. This roommate brought home a salsa (full of fruit...sick) and I knew I had this race won. Tired of chopping all of the ingredients by hand, I bought a tiny little 2 cup hand held food processor (Mom now uses it 10 years later, perfect for those weepy onions). My salsa was, and still is, better. I'd bet money on it.

Every Sunday night, our ward would have ward prayer. The guys and gals in the ward would get together for a little devotional and a prayer...nice way to start the school week. Afterwards, people would usually get together at some of the apartments for snacks. My apartment, Colonial House 508, became known for our Salsa Sundays. Chips and salsa, watered down blended non-alcoholic daiquiris to feed the masses, and friends. (Well, some of us were friends. Some of us were just forced to live together.)

This salsa recipe became a staple of my college diet, getting mixed into everything from eggs to tuna sandwiches. I know, you think that's gross, but it was actually kind of awesome! Tuna, salsa, a little squirt of yellow mustard. Awesomeness. Don't knock it 'til you've tried it. I've yet to find another salsa that I like as much or more than my mom's recipe.

Knight's Fresh Salsa

Ingredients

2-4 garlic cloves, peeled (use more or less depending on your love of garlic)
1 small bunch green onions, trim off root end
1/2 bunch cilantro (I know some of you don't like cilantro, and I'm willing to overlook this weakness, so just leave it out if you don't like it)
1 small can diced green chilis (If you like more heat, add whatever type of pepper)
6-8 Roma tomatoes (I prefer Romas because they have less juice and I'm not a fan of runny salsas)

Cut tomatoes in half, removing the hard stem end, and place in food processor. Pulse until they are chopped. If you let it go for a long time, it'll get soupy.

Place in food processor: garlic cloves, green onions, and cilantro. Pulse until finely chopped. Sometimes my food processor doesn't always get these ingredients mixed as well as I'd like, so I add a cup of the processed tomatoes.

Stir in can of chilis and add salt to taste.

Avocado is a great addition to this recipe as well.

Now, if you want to get REALLY fancy, you can make your own tortilla chips.

A while back, I made an enchilada dinner and had loads of extra corn tortillas...the little kinds. I knew I wouldn't eat them and needed something fun on a Saturday afternoon, so I bought myself a lot of oil and decided to overcome my fear of deep frying foods.

As I was cutting the tortillas into triangles a taste memory came to my mind. It was vague, but in my childhood I remembered eating cinnamon and sugar tortilla chips. The perfect blend of crunch and sweet....makes my mouth drool just thinking about it. I got out the cinnamon and the sugar, mixed them in a big bowl and faced the pot of deadly hot oil.

You, too, can overcome your deep frying fears! (Insert cheesy infomercial music here.) All you need is a large/deep pot, a cookie sheet lined with paper towels, a candy thermometer, and a Spider or something like it to retrieve the chips.

Ingredients

Corn tortillas, cut into triangles, strips, rounds, whatever shape your little heart desires
Peanut oil (I put about 2" of oil in my pot)
Salt (for regular chips)
Cinnamon and sugar mixture (for sweet chips)

Heat oil in the pan until it reaches, roughly, 375 degrees. Carefully drop your tortilla pieces into the oil, making sure that you limit any splashing. I let my chips go for no more than 30-45 seconds on each side before flipping them over to finish frying. You'll know the chips are done when they're faintly golden brown. They'll continue to brown even after you remove them from the pot, so make sure you don't over-fry them.

Using the spider, or something like it, remove the chips from the pot and allow to drain and slightly cool on the paper towels. While they're still warm, either sprinkle with salt or submerge them in the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

Make, eat, and love!