Mango Salsa - Video Recipe

This is my favorite Salsa to make at home. Just watch the video below for my Mango Salsa, and see how easy it is to do,  enjoy.

Mango Salsa - Video

Play it here. video runs 1 minute, 53 seconds.

Typical salsas are made with tomato and/or chili, instead of fruit. And I've made all kinds of salsas from scratch, just click on any name to view: tangy Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo,) Red Chili (2 dried types - but the same recipe,) Pico de Gallo, and Peach Salsa.

I first made Mango Salsa with a Coconut Crusted Fish almost a decade ago, and I keep coming back. There is just something about scooping up sweet-tangy salsa on a tortilla chip and chowing down. Light sweetness sure goes with heavy flavored pork Carnitas, or spicy Chicken Tinga, tacos and burritos.

Guests go crazy for my Mango Salsa. Every time I bring a bowl it becomes the favorite dish and the first one to disappear, at a party. It's also an aphrodisiac for date night with your amour.

Mangos used to be as expensive as avocados, and I'm lucky to live in Los Angeles where I can now get them two for a dollar at my local Latin market, Superior Grocers. I know they are expensive in other communities but do try this recipe sometime when they show up on sale at your local grocery store.

Click on any photo to see larger.

In the above photo I show two types of mangos I find, Manila Mangos cultivated in the Philipines, and regular Mangoes.  If you ever find Manila Mangos give them a try, while smaller than a typical Mangoes the flesh is sweeter to my taste.

Try out this recipe with fruit that shows up at your local farmers market or roadside produce stalls. Could you make a Strawberry, Blueberry, Pineapple, Peach, or even Kiwi Salsa? You can only find canned fruit cocktail, peaches and pineapple slices to work with? Sure, go for it!

A mango is ripe when it's slightly soft to the touch. When very ripe they do get messy to work with. Under my Directions below I show you how I peel one.

The other Mango Salsa ingredients are cheap enough. I use purple onion, but you can use cheap white or yellow onion. Cilantro and fresh jalapeno peppers are showing up in most neighborhood groceries these days.

Typical salsas use lime juice but I like to mix it up with lemon juice sometimes (plus I have a lemon tree by the laundry room here, so they are freeeeee!)

I used fresh jalapeño, but you can use it from a jar as well. The jalapeños may have a vinegar taste, but that's okay, just drain them first.

 I also remove the jalapeño seeds, but you can leave them in for a fiery Mango Salsa.

My Mango Salsa travels well to your neighbor or friends party. Just remember to bring a bag of tortilla chips!

Ingredients

• 2  mangos - peeled and diced. About 1 1/2 to 2  cups.
• 1 cup of chopped onion - red, white or yellow. Add more or less to suit your taste.
• Cilantro - 2 tablespoons chopped.
• Juice of a lemon or lime- or 2 tablespoons from a jar.
•  Jalapeño -  about a teaspoon, chopped. Add a little at a time and taste, until the desired spiciness is reached. Okay to use jalapeño from a jar, just drain off pickling vinegar.

Directions

Mangoes are a bit messy and slippery to work with. They should be ripe first, with a slight softness, and yellow or reddish color, depending on the type of mango.

There are a few ways to peel a mango. I've seen them sliced in half, lengthwise around the large seed, and scoop out the flesh with a spoon. Below is how I do it.

I like to peel them this way. First I slice into the skin from top to bottom four times. Make sure to slice intersecting at the top and bottom.

Now just peel each segment to remove half of the skin, at the widest half of mango. The mango seed is flat and wide so you want to slice off the most flesh along the seed. The seed will guide your blade, just follow the seed as you slice.

Once one side is stripped of flesh, then peel the other side and repeat, slicing along the length of the seed. You can keep slicing around the seed to get all the mango flesh. Now just cut the mango flesh into bite sizes.

Chop the onion into small pieces. I used about a quarter of a large red onion. You can add more or less onion to taste. 

Chop enough cilantro leaves to fill 2 tablespoons. Okay to add more or less to taste.

Add cilantro and onion to the bowl with mango.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon or lime. Normally lime is used for salsa, but I used what I had on hand. Okay to use juice from the jar or plastic. 

A good trick to get lemon or lime extra juicy is to slice it in half, then microwave it for about 10-20 seconds until warm. This will release more juice.

Mix mango, cilantro, and onion with the lemon or lime juice.

Finally, add jalapeño.

When handling jalapeño make sure not to touch your eyes or lips or you will get burned. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after working with a jalapeño. The oil from a jalapeño is very hot to delicate body parts!

When handling jalapeño make sure not to touch your eyes or lips or you will get burned. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after working with a jalapeño. The oil from a jalapeño is very hot to delicate body parts!

I like to slice the jalapeño lengthwise to cut out the white pith and remove the seeds. Discard the stem. You will have a little spiciness from jalapeno flesh, but not as much as when adding the seeds.

I used about a quarter of a large jalapeño, or about a teaspoon when chopped. If you like your salsa hotter then add more chopped jalapeno, or add jalapeño with the seeds.

If you are unsure about how much you spiciness you can take, just add a little chopped jalapeño at a time and mix, then try salsa.

Serve Mango Salsa with tortilla chips, on a taco, or in a burrito. Keep Mango Salsa in the refrigerator until ready to use. You can make it a day ahead, as it will keep for several days. 

Hindsight
This recipe is easy to double or quadruple for more guests.

You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste - add more mango or less jalapeño, more cilantro or even leave out the onion.

Another way to peel a mango is to just slice lengthwise against the seed, skin and all. Now you can just scoop out the flesh from half-slices with a spoon. Chop into bite-size pieces.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Chicken Tinga Bowl - Leftovers Series

Some recipes are better served as leftovers. And my Latin-flavored Chicken Tinga recipe fits the bill. Chicken that's cooked in smoky chipotle red chiles in adobo and tomato sauce tastes better over time. Click here to see the recipe, or watch my recipe video at the end of this blog post.

Chicken Tinga

It's an intense taste that you can soften with the addition of pinto beans and rice. And keep the flavors building by adding chopped onion, cheese and sprigs of cilantro. It's basically a bowl of chile with all the toppings, and more.

Chicken Tinga is one of my go-to recipes when I have a backyard patio party. I just set out a steaming bowl of slow cooked Mexican stew, with a pile of tortillas and homemade salsa, and let the guest build their own.

I usually have a pot of pinto beans on the stove that has been filling the kitchen with it's soothing aroma. Some gluten averse guests will skip the tortillas and make a simple Chicken Tinga Bowl.

Chicken Tinga Bowl

I don't always have leftovers, but when I do I like the addition of my Mom's Mexican Rice. Saute a little onion and garlic, then tint the rice with a tablespoon of tomato paste. Mexican Rice and Pinto Beans (from a can or homemade) are the base to any Leftover Bowls, like my Carnitas Bowl I made a while ago, here.

Homemade Pinto Beans - Video Recipe

So, start the bowl by heating up the beans, rice and Chicken Tinga in the microwave, or stove top.

I like a little crunch from fresh chopped red onion, finishing the Chicken Tinga Bowl with melty cheese and brightly flavored cilantro.

You can gild the lilly by adding your favorite spicy salsa. So click on any recipe name above to get all the tasty details and make your own Chicken Tinga Bowl.

Chicken Tinga - Video Recipe

Peach Salsa

Peach are not only for pies, it makes a great salsa, too. This refreshing recipe combines the best of two worlds, sweet peaches from the South and spicy jalapeño from Mexico.

I've made all kinds of salsas from scratch, just click on any name to view: tangy Roasted Salsa Verde (tomatillo,) Red Chili (2 dried types - but same recipe,) Pico de Gallo, and Mango Salsa.

I leave the skin on my fruit, but you can remove it if you like. But do make sure the peach is a ripe one. My local Latin market carries them for less than a dollar per pound, and if you live in the Georgia, then you know where (and when) to get them for sure.

I used fresh jalapeño, but you can use it from a jar as well. The jalapenos will have a vinegar taste, but that's okay, just drain them first.

 I also remove the jalapeño seeds, but you can leave them in for a fiery Peach Salsa.

The other ingredients come cheaply and are easy to get. Cilantro is now carried by most groceries these days. I used red onion, but you can use cheaper white or yellow onion.

For my last taco party I set out a bowl of Peach Salsa and regular Red Chili Salsa. Guess which one vanished first - yep, it was the Peach Salsa.

For a fresh take on traditional tomato-based or red chili salsas, give my Peach Salsa a taste. All it takes is a little chopping.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 ripe peaches - about 2 cup chopped. My peaches were medium size (in peach country they can get quite large, so maybe one will do.) Okay to peel peaches, I left the skin on. It's okay to use canned peaches, too. Just drain them. (I would make a cocktail with the peach liquid, ha!)
• 3/4 cup onion - chopped. I used a red onion, but okay to use white or yellow onion.
• Lemon or lime juice - I used the juice of one whole lemon. May need more juice depending on ripeness of fruit. Okay to use juice from a jar, about a tablespoon.
• 2 tablespoons cilantro - chopped. Okay to add more or less to taste.
• 1 tablespoon chopped jalapeño - optional. Okay to use jalapeño from the jar. I removed seeds, but leave them in for extra spicy. Okay to use more or less to you spice level.

Directions
Use ripe peaches. Prepare peach by cutting around peach and pulling it apart to remove the seed. Slice and chop peach into small pieces, like you would for a tomato based salsa.

I left the skin on the peach, but you can remove some or all the skin. If your cutting board has any peach juice left, just pour it into the salsa bowl.

Add chopped peaches to a bowl.

Chop the onion into small pieces. I used about a quarter of a large red onion. You can add more or less onion to taste.

Chop enough cilantro leaves to fill 2 tablespoons. Okay to add more or less to taste.

Add cilantro and onion to the bowl with peaches.

Squeeze in the juice of one lemon or lime. Normally lime is used for a salsa, but I used what I had on hand. Okay to use juice from the jar or plastic.

A good trick to get you lemon or lime extra juicy is to slice it in half, then microwave it for about 10-20 seconds until warm. This will release more juice.

Mix fruit, cilantro and onion with the lemon or lime juice. Finally add the chopped jalapeño.

When handling jalapeño make sure not to touch your eyes or lips or you will get burned. Be sure to wash your hands with soap after working with a jalapeño. The oil from a jalapeño is very hot to delicate body parts!

I like to slice the jalapeño lengthwise to cut out the white pith and remove the seeds. Discard the stem. You will have a little spiciness from jalapeno flesh, but not as much as when adding the seeds.

I used about a quarter of a large jalapeño, or about a tablespoon when chopped. If you like your salsa hotter then add more chopped jalapeno, or add jalapeño with the seeds.

If you are unsure about how much you spiciness you can take, just add a little chopped jalapeño at a time and mix, then try salsa.

Finally give your Peach Salsa a final mix to incorporate all the jalapeño.

Serve with chips, on a taco or in a burrito.

Hindsight
This recipe is easy to double or quadruple for more guests.

You can adjust the ingredients to suit your taste - add more peach or less jalapeño; more cilantro or even leave out the onion.

Pico de Gallo - Chunky Salsa

With every taco truck meal I get, it's always the same internal monologue: "Which one of these salsas do I pile onto a pair of tacos?"

I like all types of salsas, from traditional soupy tomato sauce to a roasted green tomatillo Salsa Verde; and a dried chile, smokey Roja, to this one -- a chunky Pico de Gallo, which I think is one of the best.

Some salsas go through a cooking stage, but not this one. But it does take more chopping than the others. That all the ingredients are fresh is a big plus. Pico de Gallo is made from tomato, onion, garlic, cilantro, jalapeno and lime juice.

You control the spiciness -- a little jalapeno or a lot, it's up to you. Do you like extra cool cilantro or the sweet heat of extra chopped onion? I do. This is the type of dish where there is no wrong way to do it. It's a perfect party appetizer that goes with tortilla chips or your favorite crackers -- make one bowl mild and the other extra spicy. It's also a fresh condiment for almost any entree.

Last summer I did a month of hot dog videos that included footage of a L.A. Street Dog (click here,) which is a grilled wiener wrapped in bacon. And the kicker is how it's served on the street -- yep, topped with Pico de Gallo!

If you have a Latin grocery in the neighborhood then all the ingredients will be way below 99 cents per pound. I've noticed most ethnic grocery stores have tomatoes and chiles cheaper than typical chain markets.

Just in time for sweltering summer days and nights, The 99 Cent Chef's cool Pico de Gallo salsa recipe is just a few chops away.

Ingredients (2 - 3 servings)

• 2 cups diced tomato - I used about 5 roma tomatoes. Okay to use even more.
• 1/2 cup chopped onion - about 1/2 regular onion
• Handful of cilantro leaves - about 1/4 cup chopped. Okay to use more or less to taste.
• 1/4 chopped jalapeno - to taste. Discard stem and seeds. You may want more or less depending on your heat tolerance.
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic - fresh or from jar
• Juice of 1 lime - or about 2 tablespoons of juice . Okay to substitute with lemon juice.
• Salt and pepper to taste.

*A great lush addition is one chopped avocado, optional.

Directions
Chop all ingredients except lime. You could let a food processor roughly chop ingredients, but do each ingredient separately. I like to finely chop the onion, garlic, jalapeno and cilantro.

I hand chop the tomatoes, seeds and all, to a small size, but larger than the onion pieces. Add all the chopped veggies into a large enough bowl.

Squeeze in juice of one lime and mix well. Finally season with salt and pepper to taste. Optional to add chopped avocado - lastly, so you don't overmix it to mushiness.

Serve cold or at room temperature. Pico de Gallo served the same day is the best -- but even over a few days the flavors meld well and intensify deliciously.

This is a great topping for burgers (Mexi-Burger recipe,) hot dogs (LA Street dog recipe,) fish (Coconut Crusted Fish recipe,) your favorite salad (2 Minute Salad recipe,) or as a fresh tasting side dish. And of course it's a dip for all occasions and types of chips (not just tortilla chips.) I especially like Pico de Gallo sprinkled over my decadent Billionaires Crab Omelet (recipe here.)

The Loxaco, a Jewish Taco - Video Recipe

Wolfgang Puck built his food empire off his signature Italian/Jewish pizza made with Lox and cream cheese. And now The 99 Cent Chef has the chutzpah to come up with his own dish worthy of inclusion into the Entrees Hall of Fame - a Jewish/Mexican culinary mashup called the Loxaco!

 Los Angeles is known for fusion food (the collision of disparate ethnic cuisines), epitomized by Roy Choi's Kogi Truck taco, which features Korean spiced short ribs and sour slaw on a corn tortilla (click here to see my video documentary) -- so good! So why not a new taco twist featuring typical ingredients from your local Jewish deli?

I first had a Jewish breakfast sandwich that features a bagel, cream cheese and Lox, on a film commercial shoot, and have been addicted ever since. Usually laid out by craft services on a folding table, it seems an unusual first meal, especially with garnishes of sliced tomato and red onion -- Oy Vey! But, mild cured salmon and sweet cream cheese smooths out the pungent raw crunchy red onion.

With all my Los Angeles edible influences, It's was only a matter of time before the Chintzy Chef came up with his latest outre entree.

And a lot of the credit goes to a Latino neighborhood (Boyle Heights) bookstore, Libros Schmibros. Thanks to my wife, who's bread and butter is earned through journalism, I've had the pleasure to meet many scribblers, including David Kipen, the proprietor of this lending library/used bibliotheque in East L.A.

When we were invited there to a book launch party for the travelogue "Waiting For Foreign", edited by Veronique de Turenne and J. Michael Walker, I wanted to come up with a unique dish to commemorate the occasion, thus the Loxaco was born - my version of a Jewish Taco.

In my video, you can spot some noshing local literati in attendance, including: Pulitzer Prize-winning food writer Jonathan Gold with wife Laurie Ochoa (co-editor of Slake), Kevin Roderick (LA Observed), and noir scribe Gary Phillips -- who gives my homemade lox a rave review, on camera!

Cold cured salmon, or lox, is so simple to make that it seems like gouging to charge $2 an ounce (that's $32 per pound!) by your local deli and supermarket. All it takes is a coating of cheap salt and sugar, followed by a two day wait for curing in the refrigerator. Cured salmon does loose half of it's water weight, so maybe that's why it's worth so much gelt?

I bought a $5 salmon steak on sale for $7.99 per pound and cut it into 3 pieces for my video shoot: two for curing and one piece was kept raw. For one, two-ounce fillet, I went over my 99 cent price point, but not by much; and anyway I am saving you mucho dinero! And my other Loxaco ingredients, red onion, tomato, cream cheese and taco shells (or corn tortillas), are always a bargain. Plus all the ingredients are Kosher, including taco shells.

Lox makes for a versatile party canape for your next Bat Mitzvah or Quinceanera. I schlepped a package of tortilla chips to Libros Schmibros to stretch my homemade Lox. Stacking my Loxaco recipe on some chips, I was surprised how quickly they disappeared. A cured four-ounce piece of salmon will easily make a few dozen appetizers, depending on how thin you can slice it. And if you want to keep the party theme Jewish, just use bagel chips.

So pull up a chair and watch the haimisher mensch Chef show you how easy it is to make homemade Lox. And as a bonus I take you to Boyle Heights to visit a great neighborhood bookstore, Libros Schmibros.  

*Ess Gezunterhait!

The Loxaco  - Video

Play it here. The video runs 7 minutes, 42 seconds. 

Ingredients for Lox (about 8 Loxacos, or a few dozen canapes)

• 4 ounces of fresh salmon
• 1/4 cup of salt
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• A pinch of dried or fresh herbs makes a tasty flavor addition, including: dill, parsley, oregano, etc.
• If you want a smoked flavor, then lightly brush on a teaspoon of liquid smoke before sugar/salting.

Taco Ingredients

• 8 taco shells - okay to use heated soft corn tortillas. Hey, go crazy and wrap Loxaco ingredients in a flour tortilla for a Jewish burrito!
• 1/2 onion - typically red onion, sliced.
• 1 large tomato - or a couple of small, sliced.
• Small tub or block of cream cheese.
• A few sprigs of cilantro - optional.

Directions
I removed the skin from the salmon fillet (also remove any bones). Mix 1/4 cup of salt and sugar and pour onto a small plate. Coat all sides of salmon with salt and sugar. Wrap salmon in plastic and store on a plate, or small bowl, in the refrigerator for 2 days. If you leave the skin on you may need an extra day of curing.

Every 12 hours or so, open plastic-wrapped salmon and drain off liquid. I re-coated salmon with leftover salt and sugar after one day. The salmon fillet will shrink and turn a deeper orange as it cold cures. It is done when firm to the touch and the center is no longer raw.

After 2 days (very thick fillets may need an extra day or two) rinse off lox with water to remove extra salty taste. After the rinsing, you can also soak lox for five minutes in a bowl of water to dissolve away even more salt. Pat dry with a paper towel when done. Slice lox thinly. Store any leftover lox (highly unlikely) in the refrigerator in a Ziplock bag or airtight container.

To assemble Loxaco, smear taco shell (or soft warm corn tortilla) with cream cheese; add a slice of tomato, onion and lox, finally topping with a few sprigs of cilantro.

My Loxaco is easily turned into canapes for a party food tray. Just assemble the same way with your favorite chips, including: tortilla chips, bagel chips and fried pork skins -- obviously, the last chip is not Kosher!

Libros Schmibros hours are noon - 6pm. Thursday - Sunday
103 N. Boyle Avenue (new location)
Los Angeles, CA 90033
phone: (323) 604-9991
website: https://www.librosschmibros.org

99 thanks to Bob McGinness for his tasty kitchen camerawork.
Extra thanks to David Kipen of Libros Schmibros, plus all the customers and the volunteers.
*Click on orange type for links to Mexican or Yiddish phrase translations.
To embed, or to just link the video from Youtube, click here.