Spicy Apple-Tomato Salsa
This post was originally published here on October 31, 2014. I’ve since updated the photographs and text. I hope you try it out!
I’m cautiously placing a single foot into Fall.
Summer isn’t completely dead yet. And I’m still blissfully rocking flip flops and white shorts, totally un-phased by my obvious fashion blunders. But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I’m detecting a subtle change in the air these days. Fall is most definitely coming. And I’m going be ready for her when she arrives. Complete with snacks.
Yes, snacks. All events (and even non-events) require snacks. And the arrival of Fall is certainly an event (or non-event) worthy of snackage. So to prepare for this occasion, I took everyone’s favorite Summer snack (i.e. chips and salsa) and gave it a Fall face-lift by adding in one of my favorite Fall fruits: apples.
This Spicy Apple-Tomato Salsa has just the right mix of Summer and Fall flavors. And it’s got a very nice kick to it as well (but feel free to dial back on the amount of jalapeño peppers for less heat)! It’s what I like to call “transition-salsa”. And I’m going to be eating it non-stop for the next two months. It’s perfect for parties, game day or basically anytime when you’re craving chips and salsa (=always).
While I’m sitting over here awaiting the arrival of Fall, I’ve got three blogging friends who are awaiting the arrival of something MUCH bigger in their lives: babies! Ashley from The Recipe Rebel, Denise from Sweet Peas and Saffron and Kristine from Kristine’s Kitchen are all expecting little ones soon. And today, we’re having a virtual baby shower for them to celebrate. Yahoo!
All three ladies are already seasoned Moms. And I’m excited for them that their families are continuing to grow!
Be sure to check out all the links below to see what dishes everyone “brought” to the baby shower today. I know you’ll find some serious inspiration for Fall cooking and baking!
Cheers,
Liz
Ingredients
- 1 (15-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes
- 1 (15-ounce) can crushed tomatoes
- 1 large apple, peeled, cored and diced
- 1 cup diced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup diced red pepper
- 2-3 jalapeño peppers, minced
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, combine all the ingredients except for the cilantro over medium heat. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 8 minutes. Then stir in the cilantro and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat. Transfer the salsa to a clean container and allow it to cool to room temperature. Then refrigerate to chill.
- Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.
- The salsa can be stored in an airtight container in your refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Roasted Butternut Squash Falafel Bites by She Likes Food
Maple Walnut Twice Bake Sweet Potatoes by Savory Nothings
Buttermilk Pumpkin Donuts by A Latte Food
Easy Pumpkin Danish by Pumpkin N’ Spice
Mini Pumpkin Cheesecakes by Live Well Bake Often
Pumpkin Pie Crumb Bars by Bakerita
Mini Apple Crisps by Life Made Sweeter
Pumpkin Spice Latte Bread Pudding by Whole and Heavenly Oven
Cinnamon Apple Brie Crostini by Flying on Jess Fuel
Apple Pie Bars by Bake.Eat.Repeat
Honey Apple Butter Greek Yogurt Dip by My Sequined Life
Butternut Squash Hummus with Spiced Pepitas by Flavor the Moments
Grilled Potato and Fig Salad with Maple-Almond Clusters
This post was originally published here on August 29, 2014. It’s a favorite recipe of mine, so I thought it was worth re-visiting with new and improved photos. I hope you try it out!
I have been in a MEGA salad mood these past couple of weeks. Like, I literally can’t stop eating salads. They’re all I want. All day. Every day.
I’ve always been a big salad eater. But you know how there are some days when you’re just eating a salad because you feel like you’re suppose too be. Like, maybe you’re trying to erase some poor choices from the day before. Yeah. I’ve had my fair share of those moments (most recently, this past Saturday). I think we all have.
But lately, I don’t feel like that at all. My appetite for salads has been insatiable. Luckily for me, there is an overwhelming amount of delectable Summer produce available right now. So feeding my salad desires has never been so easy. Or delicious.
This Grilled Potato and Fig Salad with Maple-Almond Clusters has been a favorite recipe of mine for years now. And it’s currently making it’s way back into heavy rotation. I’m literally obsessed with this salad. And as long as I can reliably find fresh figs at the grocery story, that obsession will continue. Fig season is SO SHORT (which pains me greatly). So when they are around, you know damn straight I’m taking advantage of them in every way possible.
I’m also taking advantage of my grill while the weather allows, grilling both the potatoes and the figs for this recipe. The potatoes do require a little pre-cooking, which helps them to cook evenly on your grill without burning. But it’s worth the extra step. Because everything tastes better from the grill. Even salads.
I find that I don’t need much in the way of dressing for this salad. Just a drizzle of reduced balsamic vinegar is plenty for me. But you can add some extra-virgin olive oil, if desired.
Beware these maple-almond clusters. They are pretty much like crack. CRACK I tell you! It takes a lot of willpower not to eat (demolish?) the entire batch in one sitting. You might want to just go right ahead and double the recipe, so you have enough for nibbling on and for topping this salad. Trust me when I say they are highly addicting.
Cheers,
Liz
Ingredients
- 1 cup sliced almonds
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup, divided
- 1/4 tsp. salt, plus more for finishing the salad
- 1.5 lbs fingerling potatoes
- 16 fresh figs, cut in half lengthwise
- 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
- 6-8 cups arugula
- 4 ounces crumbled goat cheese
- Black pepper
Instructions
- Make the maple-almond clusters. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the almonds until they become fragrant and have started to brown slightly, about 2 minutes. Watch them carefully and stir frequently so they don’t burn. Add in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the maple syrup and 1/4 tsp. of salt, stirring until the almonds are well coated. Remove the skillet from the heat and spread the almonds out onto a parchment-paper lined baking sheet. Set aside to cool.
- Cook the potatoes. Place the potatoes in a large saucepan and cover them with 1-2 inches of cold water. Place the saucepan over medium-high heat and bring the water to a boil. Then reduce the temperature to maintain a simmer and cook the potatoes, uncovered, until they are just fork tender, about 10-15 minutes. Be careful not to overcook the potatoes because you want them to maintain their shape for grilling. Drain the potatoes and set them aside to cool slightly. Once they are cool enough to handle, slice the potatoes in half lengthwise.
- Pre-heat your grill to medium-high. In a large bowl, gently toss the potatoes in about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. In a separate bowl, gently toss the figs in about 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Grill the potatoes and the figs, placing them directly on the grill grates. The potatoes take about 2-3 minutes per side. The figs are more fragile and will only take about 1 minute per side. Remove the potatoes and figs from the grill and place them on a large plate or baking sheet.
- To make the dressing, combine the balsamic vinegar and the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons of maple syrup in a small heavy bottom saucepan over medium-high heat. Simmer until the balsamic vinegar is reduced to about 1/3 of a cup, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.
- Assemble the salads. Divide the arugula evenly between 4 plates. Top with the grilled potatoes, grilled figs, goat cheese and the maple-almond clusters. Drizzle with the balsamic reduction and sprinkle with a pinch of salt and black pepper. Enjoy immediately.
