salsa – And What I Ate

Tuna Tartare with Guacamole & Mango Salsa

This looks way fancier than it actually is – the key is to have a circle mold, or just to use a measuring cup in a pinch. You can have this for an app or make them bigger and have it for a full meal. It’s completely delicious and really healthy for you, too. Serve this over some micro-greens and watch people freak out at how pretty it is.

TUNA TARTARE WITH GUACAMOLE AND MANGO SALSA
– Ahi Tuna, diced
– 1 tbsp. sesame seeds
– 1 scallion, very thinly sliced
– micro-greens
– Simple Mango Salsa
– Guacamole

1. Assemble the simple mango salsa and the guacamole in 2 separate bowls.

2. Dice the tuna – if you throw it in the freezer for 15 minutes or so it’ll be easier to cut.

3. Combine tuna with scallions and sesame seeds in a third small bowl.

4. Put some micro-greens on a little plate.

5. In either a circular mold or a measuring cup, add a layer of tuna, then salsa, then guacamole. Flip it upside down carefully but quickly on a plate.

6. Remove the mold and top with a couple little micro-greens. Enjoy!

Simple Mango Salsa

We’re halfway through April, so it’s almost summertime, right? This winter has been endless. Mangoes make me feel like I’m in the tropics, and they’re also apparently amazing for you – they have health benefits for everything from clearing up your skin to lowering cholesterol. Throw together this mango salsa and then freeze whatever leftovers you have to make smoothies. Mang-oes! Mang-oes! Mang-oes!

SIMPLE MANGO SALSA (makes approx. 2 cups)
– 1 mango, peeled and diced
– 1/4 c. finely chopped red onion
– juice and zest of half a lime
– handful chopped cilantro
– pinch of kosher salt
– 1 tsp. EVOO

1. Peel a mango with a vegetable peeler, then dice it. Add to a bowl.

2. Dice the red onion, chop the cilantro and add to the mango.

3. Add lime juice & zest, then salt. Mix everything together.

4. Add the EVOO, taste & adjust seasonings, serve either by itself, with chips or as a side – this is great with fish dishes.

Tomatillo Salsa

Tomatillos have to be one of the cutest foods out there. They come in their own little leaf packaging, they’re a bright green which would be fabulous in a wedding color palette, and they’re perfectly, adorably, palm-sized. They also have a really unique flavor – kind of tart, kind of tangy – and are a great, fresh base for an incredibly flavorful salsa. I used this as a topping to the fish tacos I made a couple of days ago, and it was terrific.

TOMATILLO SALSA (serves 4)
– 4-5 tomatillos, seeded and diced (approx. 2 cups)
– 1/3 red onion, diced
– 1 lime, juiced
– 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
– handful cilantro, chopped
– 1/2 tsp. cumin
– 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, couple of grinds fresh black pepper

1. Peel the “leafy” part away from the tomatillos. This has a bonus of smelling like crumpling leaves in the fall! Wash the whole tomatillo to remove any residue.

2. Cut the tomatillos into quarters, then with your fingers, kind of push out the whole middle part to “seed” them. These seeds are teeny, so don’t worry if you don’t get all of them. You also lose a lot of the bulk of the tomatillo in this process, but that’s ok too.

3. Dice a 1/3 of a red onion – make slits along the natural ridges of the onion, lengthwise, then flip it to the side and make horizontal cuts. The onion will dice itself naturally.

4. With a Citrus Reamer, juice a lime into a small prep bowl. Add the cumin, garlic, salt & pepper, stir to combine.

5. Combine the diced tomatillos, onion, chopped cilantro in a bowl. Add the dressing and stir to combine. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve as a topping to any mexican dish, or even on its own.