Because people like to say salsaaaaaa

May is National Salsa Month!!!! ­¡Olé!

Salsa is one of my top five favorite foods … with chips, of course. I know lots of people who put salsa on baked potatoes, scrambled eggs, aaaand just about everything else. But me? I stick to the standard chips and salsa. Oh, and salsa on top of quesadillas. And in my burrito bowls. Alright, let’s just say I keep my salsa use pretty traditional.

PIC o’ de gallo
(I’m laughing so hard in my head right now.)

I LOVE pico de gallo. I go nuts for it. I can’t believe I haven’t started making my own yet! I would really like to get a Slap Chop (or similar device) instead of going through the hassle of dicing the tomatoes and onions. That’d also help with my guac. Yummm my mouth is watering.

But wait, is pico de gallo considered salsa? I think so. It’s right next to the rest of the salsas at Chipotle and wherever else, so I’m saying yes. Why am I even questioning this?

As long as you’re not gorging on cheesy “salsa” (which is TOTALLY not salsa, imo), I say go hog wild on salsa! It’s super low cal and low fat, and is a fun substitute for other toppings. Sour cream? Nah, I’ll take the jillion-times-more-flavorful salsa, por favor.

It’s the chips basket that makes the salsa not so waistline friendly. If you and your peeps can stick with one basket, more power to you! I prefer to just not go out for Mexican very often … and then when I do I’m kinda unstoppable on the chips and salsa. AND I ENJOY EVERY MINUTE OF IT.

Like I said, chips and salsa is one of my top five fav foods (say that five times fast!), which also makes it a trigger food combo that I don’t make readily available at home. Come on now, that’s just asking for trouble. Although a chips-and-salsa-only dinner does happen in my abode every once in a while, I know that’s a horrible choice. And my tummy feels gross after eating so many stupid chips :(

I do usually have a salsa or two in my fridge, though. I like to keep ’em handy for topping my cheese quesadillas. I don’t really make those often either, and it’s not like a somewhat-soggy, microwaved cheese/tortilla sandwich is that fab of a dinner. But, when I do make them, I try to add some color (aka nutrition) to the otherwise-drab meal.

When my kitchen is ideally stocked, I top my creation with a bunch of beautifully green chopped romaine. (Iceberg lettuce is the lamest thing ever.) I really like to mix some chopped cilantro in with the lettuce, too. Next, I dice some tomatoes and onions and sprinkle on the lettuce. And then for my favorite part — salsa verde!

This is my go-to brand.

It’s tasty, but the real reason I buy it

might be that I really like to hold out

the rolling-R when I say Herrrrrrrrrrdez.

It serves so many purposes on my homemade quesadilla. It provides yummy flavor from tomatillos. It gives that little extra spicy kick that makes me forget I made this thing in a microwave. AND, if you spread the salsa verde on before anything else, it makes the lettuce stick to the tortilla! (Yes I’m a dork that gets excited about stuff like that.)

I was at the grocery store last night picking up some veggies for work and realized I needed to grab some din din fixins. I recalled that I had some shredded taco cheese at home, so I thought quesadilla. But then I remembered that I didn’t have any Herrrrrrrdez at home. And then I couldn’t find it at that grocery store!!!! The horror!

There were a bunch of other green salsa options, but I had a better idea.

I recently bought some green Tabasco (the newest addition to my guac recipe … with which I might be obsessed). I splashed a few drops onto the top of the quesadilla. And then a few more splashes. And then a few more. Then, I threw on some lettuce/cilantro mix, cut it into six triangles, and ate my tasty masterpiece whilst watching last week’s Glee. The green Tabasco rocked! I’m very happy I opted for that this time.

But, Tabasco is not salsa. It is jalapeño pepper sauce, and we’re not celebrating it this month. So enough of that.

Happy National Salsa Month!