Our Weekend With Homemade Salsa Fresca!!!

There is something so rewarding about cooking a favorite food of yours, with an amazing outcome. I know that majority of the time food tastes better when someone else makes it for you - because your senses become desensitized to the smells and flavors while cooking - but I had a very joyous moment this weekend when I whipped up a batch of salsa fresca for the first time ever!

Ever since I first ventured in world of spicy, my mouth would immediately water when I thought of two particular salsas, salsa fresca and this salsa from my childhood at my abuelita's house. The moment I have anything that would remotely pair with either, I would have gorgeous flashbacks to the moments of consumption from my past with both salsas.  

I know I sound a bit over dramatic right now, but I love food and I love these salsas with a passion. 

So this past weekend I decided to make chicken with tortillas, avocado, and radishes. Of course my son didn't really crave salsa - he's never had it, but I'm not giving my 5 year old hot sauce - but this momma was desperately in need of some spice in her life. So instead of heading over to "Pancho Villa's" (a Mexican grocery store that is practically a small slice of Mexico and smells like home) for some salsa, I decided to attempt making my own.  

I knew the basis of ingredients, so my padawan and I walked over to the grocery store, picked up what I thought was in it, and winged it. The success had me awestruck. I even shed a tear, because of how proud I was of making fresh homemade salsa. Also I miss Mexico and my abuelita. I was also a little shocked by how easy it truly was to make. It's not exactly like my favorite - again, it could be the desensitized senses altering my experience - but it was pretty darn close in my opinion!

All you need is: 

1 lemon
2 limes
1-2 jalapenos
1 tomato
1/2 a white onion
a pinch of salt

The entire recipe is all according to how you personally like it. If you don't like spicy, I'd say go with 1 jalapeno and no seeds. If you do like it spicy, use 1 1/2 to 2 jalapenos, with 1/2 the seeds. 

You really just need to chop up all the tomato, jalapenos, and onion, squeeze the limes and lemon, and sprinkle the salt. Mix everything together and there you have it! Salsa fresca!!! Incredibly easy right? I'm sure there is something I could be missing, but to be quite honest I don't feel like it's a complicated thing to make. Granted it wasn't necessarily ever meant to be a secret recipe to crack, but in my heart it meant the world to me.

Recently I've decided to try my hand at recreating a few authentic Mexican dishes, to enrich my son's life with more of his culture. I have so many fond memories of amazing food at my abuelita's house and I always loved having meals with here. The entire experience of cooking with her will forever live on in my heart as well. So many memories that I cherish and I want to extend those wondrous moments with my son. I want him to experience his culture and for us to create similar memories with glorious foods. 

It may take a while to really nail down how to cook the recipes, but I plan on asking my uncle and abuelita for help. Seeing as how I see my uncle a lot and I plan on going to Mexico to see her with my son soon (hopefully), with hard work and practice, my son will be living the good food life. 

I've never been a huge cook, mostly because I never had the training or want to do it, but now that I'm a mom I've become a lot more interested. I really love food and making beautiful plates of deliciousness that I've created with my heart. I want to bring forth our heritage and bloodline to the table now as well. I cook things here and there, but I want to cook a feast for my padawan. 

I know that I can do it. I also know that I've barely created salsa fresca - one of the easiest dishes - but regardless I'm inspired now more than ever!

On another note, the entire dish turned out amazing and I even shared the salsa with my family members. Some said it was a little too spicy for them (I added both jalapenos and half the seeds), but that's easy to alter. I'm not sure what the next dish I'll make will be, but you better believe I'll share my progress with you guys! After all, what's good food if you can't share it with the ones you love? And lord knows I love each and every one of my followers!!!!

I hope you guys had a great weekend and a fabulous Monday - I know they can be butt heads sometimes. The important part is you made it through another one and I'm proud of you for it!