Spice It Up- Pico de Gallo

Fresh is Best!

Eat COLORFUL!

Recipe below.

One of my favorite items to make is pico de gallo! It tastes so fresh and the flavors really pop when you add it to dishes. Eating fruits and vegetables raw is the best method because it provides the most nutrition possible. Cooking and preserving food often decreases the nutritional content due to heat and chemical reactions.

Spicy foods, especially peppers, have been known to increase the metabolism. The amount the metabolism is raised may be a small amount but it might help suppress appetite. People also think peppers may be linked to decreased inflammation and that is important because many Americans are suffering from some type of inflammation. Researchers are also looking into the blood thinning and blood pressure lowering effects of peppers.

Nutrition content: Jalapenos have antioxidants which help fight cancer, it also has vitamin C, vitamin A, B6 and many minerals. The fresh lime is a great for vitamin C and might help you ward off the next cold being passed around the office. Onion provides fiber, vitamin C, folate, B6, and manganese, among other nutrients. Tomatoes are also high in vitamin A, C, and K. Cilantro is high in vitamin K, plus anything green has chlorophyll. Yep, the stuff plants use to make energy, chlorophyll- is really beneficial for humans to consume. It is thought to be high in antioxidants and helps eliminate waste in the blood. So eat up!

Recipe:

3 to 4 tomatoes

1/2 white onion

2 jalapenos

2 cloves of garlic

1/2 lime

1 bunch of cilantro (coriander)

salt and pepper

Preparation:

Either chop very small or put in a food processor the tomato, onion, jalapenos, garlic, onion and cilantro.

I like to keep all the ingredients separate as I chop and add everything into my tomatoes, then taste as I add the other veggies. Add in some jalapeno, onion, garlic, cilantro, salt and pepper, squeeze the lime over it, and mix it up well. Grab that chip and taste. Add more of what’s lacking or make the mix not too spicy, pull a portion out for those who don’t enjoy the spice then add more jalapenos for the fire eaters. Jalapenos are great for your health so I take my pico very hot.

Pico tips:

Use the fresh pico on nachos, tacos, quesadillas, even breakfast burritos!

If you don’t like a lot of juice in your pico, cut the tomatoes first and let them set while you cut the other veggies. Pour off the juice before adding the other veggies. Do you really want your pico free of juice? Place tomatoes in a strainer, press very gently, add other veggies and salt and pepper, press again, transfer into a bowl and then squeeze lime.

If you have left over onion or jalapeno, saute and add into eggs or a quesadilla.

Produce picking tips:

Limes- look for a thin skin

Jalapenos- brown or tan lines on the skin will be more hot than jalapenos with smooth green skin