Monthly Archives: May 2016

Cinco de Mayo is tomorrow and this is perfect for your fiesta!   A couple of years ago one of the chefs from a culinary school here in Atlanta came to pitch the school to my students.  As always the visit was  a treat for me as well as my students. It included  a short video about the school as well as a short demo.  The highlight  was the food demo and on this particular trip to my class it was one I’m sure they will always remember.  He made migas.  Some of my students knew what they were , but most did not.  Scrambled eggs with peppers and add fried tortilla strips are migas in a nutshell.  What was the best to most including me was the Pico de Gallo that he put on top.  This fresh and simple recipe opened up my student’s eyes to just how easy it is to make this wonderful topping for tacos, migas, or just about anything.  In fact this is so good you just might want to puree it and drink it with a straw.

I like it packed with some heat.  Some jalapenos are hot and others are just bland.  I will cut and taste until I find one that has just the right amount of heat.  I want it with a big kick.  I know that some don’t like the heat and that means leave out  the seeds because they are the heater!   Try to make it about 30 minutes before serving to let the flavor develop.  The leftovers will be good for about 2 days, but I doubt they will last that long.  I serve as a side for all my Mexican dishes but I especially like to dump a huge amount on this salad.  Hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I have for about the last four years.  Have fun at your fiesta!

Pico de Gallo  put together from several recipes

Yield about 1 1/2 cups

Ingredients:

• 3  small tomatoes diced (about 1 1/4 cups)
• 1/2 jalapeno diced
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped red onion
• 1/4 cup coarsely chopped cilantro
• 1/2 lime freshly squeezed ( about tablespoon)
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/2 teaspoon of fine salt

Directions:

1. Dice tomatoes.  I like to use the tomato juice.  You may want to drain and save the juice.  You could add it as needed.
2. Add chopped jalapeno, onion and cilantro.
3. Squeeze 1/2 a lime into vegetables.  Again you may need all the juice and you may not depending on the size of the lime.  Taste and adjust as needed.  You may even need more.
4. Add salt.  I usually start with 1/2 teaspoon and add more to taste.
5. Let it sit for about 30 minutes before serving.
6. Enjoy.