It's finally warm out today, and it's making me crave warm-weather snacks, namely margaritas and Mexican. I've been reminiscing about the hours of graduate school spent drinking and laughing with J, L, and T on the patio of our favorite Mexican restaurant. I haven't, however, been thinking fondly about how many calories were in the things we were eating and drinking nearly three times a week back then.
So, as always, it was time, in my mind, to make a compromise--celebrate the memories, but cut the calories. I didn't feel much like a trip to the grocery store, so I needed to use what we had available. Since there weren't any fresh peppers left in the fridge, I decided to go with a mixture of Indian, Thai, and Mexican flavors to compensate. And here's how I did it, ultra-fusion style:
To have/do:
Homemade Fusion Salsa:
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| Thai/Indian/Mexican Salsa |
- 6 medium-sized tomatoes
- 1 large white onion
- 1 bunch of scallions
- 10 garlic cloves
- 1/8 cup unsweetened, shredded coconut
- 2 tsp dried dill
- 2 tsp dried basil
- 4 tsp dried cilantro leaves
- 2 tsp ginger
- 2 tsp celery salt
- 2 tsp of each: lemon juice, lime juice
- 2-4 tsp sriracha (if you like it hot!)
- 4 tsp hot curry powder
- 2 tsp fenugreek
- 4 tsp agave nectar (don't use honey!)
- 2 tsp thai seasoning (optional)
- 4 tsp red pepper flakes
- 2 tsp sea salt
Roughly chop all the veggies. Pour all the ingredients
into a food processor. Blend until smooth (unless you're on the chunky
side of that dichotomy). These ingredients make a whole lotta salsa, so if there're leftovers, just freeze 'em.
"Homemade" Baked Tortilla Chips:
- 6-8 flour or corn tortillas, cut into chip-like shapes (I used store-bought whole wheat flour tortillas)
- 2-4 tsp canola oil
- 2-4 tsp lime juice
- 2 tsp cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp sea salt
- 2 tsp celery salt
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| Going into the oven |
Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet.
Wash your hands thoroughly. Then, combine the oil and lime juice in a small bowl. Dip your hands into the bowl to massage around 1/3 of the chips (enough to fit on the baking sheet) with the liquid mixture. They don't have to be covered with it--just slightly moistened.
Arrange the chips on the baking sheet, fitting as many as possible without having them touch one another too much.
In another small bowl, combine the cumin, onion powder, sea salt, and celery salt. Using clean, dry hands, sprinkle a bit of the mixture over each chip.
Bake for 6-7 minutes, turn, and bake for another 6-7 minutes. Repeat a few times to finish off your tortillas. Viva las chips & salsa.
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| Homemade Fusion Chips & Salsa (garnished w/ sriracha) |
