easy pico de gallo

Let’s talk salsa.

Because really – there is nothing quite refreshing like fresh salsa on a hot summer day. There is nothing quite as refreshing as fresh salsa on a cool summer night.

Let’s just face it – salsa rocks.

Now, I have nothing against jarred salsa. In fact, I regularly buy the jarred variety when I go to the grocery store. However, yesterday when I was in Trader Joe’s, I saw what was a pint of fresh salsa, looking so delicious in all of its pico de gallo goodness. I picked that baby right up, looked at it’s $4.99 price tag, and promptly put it right back on the refrigerator shelf.

Instead, I did what any other reasonable woman would do. I looked at the ingredients, and found out I only needed two more of them. Grateful, I picked up a lemon and a jalapeño pepper.

At that exact moment I vowed something very important to myself: I was not going to touch my eye while chopping up the jalapeño.

You laugh. I cry.

Easy Pico de Gallo (makes 2-3 cups)

• 2.5 tomatoes on the vine
• 1/2 onion, diced
• 1/2 jalepeno, de-seeded and diced
• juice from 1/2 lemon
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup green pepper, diced
• 1/3 cup fresh cilantro, diced
• 1 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• salt and pepper to taste

First things first: gather those veggies!

And start dicing away. Believe me – it doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t have to look pretty. It will all taste the same.  You’ll want all that juice from your tomatoes to make up the liquid in your salsa.

Make sure you de-seed your jalapeño – unless you like it reaallly hot. In that case, keep the seeds. Live on the wild side.

I probably used about 1/2 of this green pepper slice.

Once all your vegetables are diced and ready to go, put them into a large bowl with the cilantro, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, and spiced. Mix to coat and refrigerate until ready to serve.

If you’re anything like me, you can’t wait long enough for all the flavors to permeate together. I dove into this about 30 seconds after this picture was taken – sans chips, because those were for show. Can’t a girl even get a Scoops around here? ::sigh::

However, if you’re my Husband, you are – a) very lucky to have a lovely lady in your life and b) the master salsa taste tester once it has been sitting in the fridge for a few hours.

Wives, remember this: if you want your husband to forget all that you have done in the past, just make him fresh salsa. The Husband hates tomatoes, but he loves salsa. Does this make any sense? Probably not.

This fiesta is about to get crazy up in here. We  have a lot to celebrate.

For starters, you guys are the best readers a girl could ever ask for.

Secondly, I didn’t touch my eye after dicing the jalapeño.

Lastly, there’s salsa in my fridge – need there be anything more to celebrate?

Question: What is a summer dish you could never live without? Have you ever touched your eye after you really shouldn’t have?

Tagged as: cilantro, gluten free, jalepeno, pico de gallo, recipe, salsa, special diet, summer dishes, tomato, vegan