Fresh salas made with fruits and vegetables are essential to Baja cuisine. Salsas are easily tailored to the available produce and to your individual tastes. Mix and match basically any fruits, peppers and onions and you have a salsa. What’s your favorite Mexican salsa recipe?

Sunday is my market and prep day. Even beach girls need some organization in their foodie lives. I have the same problem as many of you do at 4 pm when I’ve been writing all day and I’m hungry, “What’s for dinner, La Gringa?”

If I have a plan and some veggies and fruits prepped in advance then I am much less likely to reach for the tortilla chips or a quick quesadilla. I don’t have the American luxury of buying pre-washed bags of salad or veggies, which is really a great fall back plan for busy cooks who want nutritious food on the table quickly. So I wash and cut up jicama, cucumbers, carrots, melon, pineapple and lettuce.

I make fresh salsas every week with the fruits and vegetables that I have on hand. You can add salsas to tacos of course but try a fruit salsa as a side dish for fish or chicken. Salsas are flavor packed and you can adjust the heat to your preference by varying the types and amounts of chili pepper.

[lt_recipe name=”Pico de Gallo” servings=”Multiple ” prep_time=”10 MINUTES ” cook_time=”NONE” total_time=”10 MINUTES ” difficulty=”Easy ” summary=”Fast fresh tomato and pepper salsa for any occasion. Keep a batch on hand for any Baja meal. ” print=”yes” image=”http://mybajakitchen.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/image-1-225×300.jpg” ingredients=”2 ripe tomatoes ;1 red onion;1 serrano chili;1/2 cup packed chopped fresh cilantro;1 key lime, may substitute Persian lime;Dash of sea salt” ]Dice tomatoes and onion into desired size, usually 1/4 inch pieces. Mince serrano chili, the amount you use is directly related to your preference for spiciness. Start with 1 tablespoon, about 1/2 of an average serrano chili. You may substitute any hot chili, try jalapeño, habanero, or poblano depending on your heat preference. ;Chop cilantro. Mix all vegetables and the juice of one key lime or 1 tablespoon of any lime juice. Adjust salt. It’s best served after allowing the ingredients to mingle for 20 minutes. The salsa will keep in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 5-7 days. [/lt_recipe]

Simple Additions to Pico de Gallo: 

Pico de Gallo, mild
If you’re feeling creative try a sweet red bell pepper and add chopped cucumber or jicama.

Pineapple Salsa
Make pico de gallo but substitute chopped ripe pineapple for the tomatoes and add chopped orange, yellow or red bell pepper.

Mango Ginger Salsa

Substitute ripe mango for the pineapple. Then add 1 tablespoon of fresh grated ginger root.

Watermelon Salsa

Substitute chopped watermelon for the pineapple and add chopped cucumber for crunch.

Buena salud, disfrute de su comida. Good health, enjoy your meal.

Feeling Inspired? Before you go please sign up for my newsletter.