This restaurant-style salsa is quick n easy. All you need are a few minutes of you time and a handful of ingredients which are readily available in your pantry!  The freshness of the tomatoes, the zestiness of the lime clubbed with the heat from the jalapenos and the aroma of the cilantro, together balance the flavors very well and tastes just like the restaurant version.

Why homemade Salsa?

The thought of making homemade salsa started after noticing my son going crazy over chips and salsa whenever we visit Mexican restaurants. I mean, how could I blame him, we all love it, right? And when he started asking for the same at home too, I used to give him store bought salsa initially. But watching how he used to drink & gulp it (lol, I donno what else to say), it made me concerned about the quality of store-bought ones and the preservatives present for longer shelf life, not to mention the high amount of salt and sugar added for taste. That was the moment I finally decided to try my hand on a homemade version. And trust me, that was the right decision and never have I turned back to store bought salsa again. Also, I can’t be happier watching my son savor mommy’s homemade salsa!

Is Salsa Healthy?

Yes, tomato being the main ingredient of Salsa, it is an excellent source of Vitamin C with anti-cancer, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Salsa is also low in calories, helps with digestion, boosts your immune system and promotes heart health.

How to store?

Leftovers can be refrigerated in an air tight container for up to a week. I do not recommend freezing salsa as it is best enjoyed when freshly made without any preservatives.

Interested in other Mexican food recipes? Check these out:

1. Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas
2. Crispy Fish Tacos
3. Salmon Tacos with Avocado crema
4. Easy Homemade Guacamole

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Homemade Restaurant Style Salsa

Quick and Easy Homemade Salsa, made with a few simple ingredients! Top your salads, tacos & fajitas,or enjoy as a dip with your favorite tortilla chips.

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword homemade salsa, mexican, salsa

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Total Time 10 minutes minutes

Servings 7

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 can diced / crushed tomatoes 14.5 oz
• 2 fresh tomatoes
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 jalapeno
• 1 handful of cilantro
• Juice of 1 lime
• ½ of a medium sized onion
• Salt (as required)

Instructions

• Blend all the ingredients together and check for the seasoning.
• Allow it to sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Notes

1. You can remove the seeds of the jalapenos to make it less spicy.
2. Leftovers can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to one week.

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Are you a fan of Guacamole?

Or

a fan of Hummus?

If that’s a YES for both, then this recipe is definitely for you! Combining the two epic dips together; zesty guacamole with creamy hummus – it is a Star of Dips!

If you have been following my blog lately, you would know about my love for hummus. On a weekly basis I end up making it in different combinations; either as a dip, or at times as a spread for rolls, like my favorite Roasted Chickpeas Hummus Roll. This continues from classic to variations like beetroot hummus, and now to my latest crush – avocado hummus. It’s so fresh and creamy, with a tiny hint of zestiness from the lemon. The dish keeps you guessing, with that taste which is in right between guacamole and hummus, n is so damn delicious!  Be it a spread on toasts or a heap on a tortilla chip, this avocado hummus dip is absolutely perfect…!

The extra creaminess comes not only from the avocados, but also from the chickpeas without it’s skin. It is purely optional to peel its skin as the avocado balances the texture, but definitely makes a difference when removed. You can also try adding jalapenos to give some heat to your dip if you like.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Avocado Hummus

When Classic Mediterranean Hummus meets Mexican Delight Guacamole…Its a Celebration of Flavors…!! Presenting you the Extra Creamy, Healthy n Delicious Avocado Hummus… Perfect as a Dip or a Spread for Sandwiches & Toasts…!! 

Course Appetizer

Cuisine Mediterranean, Mexican

Keyword appetizer, avocado hummus, hummus

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 15 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados (peeled and pitted)
• 15 oz. canned chickpeas or ½ cup dried chickpeas, cooked
• 1 garlic
• ¼ cup tahini sauce
• ¼ tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 lemon squeezed
• ¼ cup reserved chickpeas liquid/water
• ¼ cup olive oil + enough for topping
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro leaves
• Salt (as required)
• roasted chickpeas/red chili flakes (garnish)

Instructions

• In a food processor, pulse together the avocados, cooked/canned chickpeas, garlic, tahini sauce, cumin powder, pepper powder, lemon juice, cilantro leaves, olive oil and salt.
• Scrape the sides of the bowl and add reserved liquid or water as needed while grinding to reach the desired consistency or until smooth. Check for the seasoning.
• Top with extra olive oil, roasted chickpeas (optional) or red chili flakes.
• Enjoy with veggie sticks, pita chips/tortilla, or bread.

Pro Tip: Peel off the chickpeas skin for a creamier hummus.

The post Avocado Hummus appeared first on Pepper Delight.

My Current Obsession: Sheet Pan Dinners!!!

Why do I love that? Well… not only are they super easy, require minimum ingredients, no pre-preps, & hassle free cleaning, they are also sooper delicious and can be prepared in under 30 minutes! That sounds so awesome, right? Oh Yeah, especially when running around on a busy day!

I am a huge lover of fajita recipes, in fact soo much that I keep on repeating fajita dishes every time we go to a Mexican restaurant. The sizzling sound of a hot skillet with charred chicken and veggies; that’s my favorite part of the dinner and makes me drool. I’ve tried cooking fajita many times on a stove top, and they came out good and I couldn’t complain. But still something was amiss, it was lacking that punch I felt in the restaurants. And then one day I thought, lets bake; a sheet pan fajita, just threw everything together onto a pan, drizzled with oil and sprinkled spices, into the oven, and… there it was! Deli…cious, charred veggies and chicken, just Perfect!! Restaurant Quality!!!

Got any doubt? Look at these pics guys!

The only time-consuming part (if any) for this recipe, is the slicing of your chicken and veggies thinly, so that they cook evenly and faster. You can add some jalapenos too if you like a spicier kick, although the chili powder and pepper already make the dish slightly spicy.

Once all your ingredients are cooked and ready, it’s time to plate! Warm your tortillas, fill with chicken and veggies, top with a dollop of sour cream, guacamole, some pico de gallo, and garnish with cilantro. Roll them and Tadaa…its done! A Mexican Delight…!!

Enjoy, Happy Cooking…!

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Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas

The Quickest, Mexican Inspired, One Pan Dinner… in just 30 Minutes! Loaded with Chicken, Bell Peppers and Onions… Sheet Pan Chicken Fajitas…!! 

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword chicken fajita, one pan chicken, sheet pan

Prep Time 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 40 minutes minutes

Servings 5

Author Akhila

Ingredients

• 1 lb chicken breast (thinly sliced)
• 1 green, yellow and red bell pepper (sliced)
• 1 white onion (sliced)
• 1 tsp chili powder
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp onion & garlic powder
• Salt (as required)
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• Lime slices
• Cilantro leaves (garnish)
• Tortilla

Sides: Guacamole, Pico de gallo, Sour Cream (optional)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 425 degree F.
• Spread chicken and veggies on to a baking tray. Drizzle oil and add chili powder, cumin powder, onion & garlic powder, salt, and pepper, to the tray and toss until well coated.
• Arrange the ingredients on the tray evenly, and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes until they are roasted and browned. Stir half way through the cooking process.
• After taking the tray out of the oven, squeeze lime juice over the roasted veggies and chicken, and serve on a warm tortilla, with guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo (optional). Garnish with cilantro leaves.

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Tacos are one of my favorites and I’ve always wanted to try them at home. I didn’t want to prepare the usual and was looking out for something different. Later one day my husband came home after a party at work and was describing me the awesome Shark Tacos he had. And that’s how I decided to prepare a fish taco!

Baja fish taco was the first recipe which came to my mind, but then I wasn’t keen on something deep fried. Salmon obviously was my next choice as I know you don’t have to fry them and they are great when grilled or baked. So I went ahead with my spicy version of salmon, the tacos turned out great and my husband loved it. Spicy fish is very common at my hometown in India, but we’ve never tried one with salmon before. This spicy salmon is soo good that it goes well with rice too; we had some leftovers which when paired with rice was delicious. For more of my salmon recipes, click here.

To compliment the taco, I used a simple coleslaw mix which gives it that freshness and a crunchy texture to the bite. For the sauce I’ve used avocado as the base, avocado and sour cream together is a perfect blend… it’s just takes the flavour to a whole new level.

Enjoy, Happy Cooking!!!

Follow me on Instagram, try out the recipes and tag #pepperdelightblog to all your pictures of Pepper Delight recipes you prepare.

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Salmon Tacos with Avocado Crema

Salmon Tacos loaded with Coleslaw, Jalapenos, and a dash of Avocado Crema…!!!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Mexican

Keyword mexican, salmon, tacos

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes minutes

Total Time 45 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Author Akhila

Ingredients

For Salmon

• 1 pound salmon fillet
• 1 tsp paprika
• ½ tsp pepper powder
• ½ tsp ground thyme
• a drizzle of lemon juice
• ½ tsp salt

For Avocado Crema

• 2 avocados
• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp water
• salt (as required)

For Tacos

• 8 flour/corn tortilla
• coleslaw mix
• jalapenos (sliced)
• lime wedges
• cilantro chopped

Instructions

• For the Salmon: Marinate salmon with paprika, pepper powder, salt, thyme and lemon juice, for 30 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Line a baking tray/oven safe dish with aluminum foil, grease with some cooking spray. Place the marinated fish on it and bake for about 30 minutes or until flaky, flipping on the other side after 15 minutes to ensure proper cooking on both sides. Using a fork, shred the salmon and keep aside.
• For the avocado crema: Blend all the ingredients until smooth and creamy. Check for the seasoning.
• Assemble: Warm the tortillas, assemble your tacos with the coleslaw mix, salmon chunks, jalapenos, a dash of avocado crema, topped with cilantro and a drizzle of lime. Enjoy!

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Guacamole with tortilla chips, the heart of Mexican food, whether in salads or as a side, goes well with any party and can be quickly prepared with 6 ingredients readily available in your pantry.

It was initially quite difficult for me to identify ripe avocados as I was quite new to the fruit. Some are green in color, and some black. The best ripened avocados which are perfect to eat will be between a green and darkish green color and when you touch it, it would be soft and slightly squishy. Raw avocados can be ripened easily by storing in brown paper bags for 2 – 3 days, and ripened ones in a refrigerator.

The flesh of the avocado fruit quickly browns once cut open and exposed to air. An easy way to prevent oxidizing and to keep it fresh is by smearing a little lime juice over it.

Among different types of avocados, Hass varieties are the best for preparing guacamole. Freshly made guacamole can be stored by sealing with a plastic wrap or in an airtight container.

Prep time: 5 – 8 minutes
Serves: 4 – 5 servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Avocados
• ½ of red onion (finely chopped)
• ½ Jalapeno; finely chopped (optional)
• 2 – 4 tbsp Lime juice
• 4 tbsp Cilantro (finely chopped)
• Salt as required
• Tortilla chips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pit the avocados into a bowl spacious enough to mash them.
2. Add the remaining ingredients into the bowl and mash well with a masher or a fork.

Note:

1. Jalapenos are optional but if you are adding make sure it is finely chopped.
2. Tomatoes are also another optional ingredient.

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