Pico De Gallo

How often do you see those mini cookbook magazines along the checkout line at the grocery store? Sometimes I just can't help myself and I buy them!! Usually there's one, MAYBE two recipes in the damn things that are keepers. Years ago I picked one up for Mexican food and found this simple Pico De Gallo recipe....tastes good and the family loves it. It's the only recipe in the whole booklet that I have made more than once (and plenty that I never made even one time LOL).

Now...lets go over a few minor details. Tomatoes. I highly recommend that you use Roma (aka Plum) tomatoes. They have more meat and less juice in them. You're gonna end up with a bowl of Pico De Gallo juice when its all gone anyways...but when you use those other juicier tomatoes....your Pico De Gallo will swim in the stuff. Not that the juice is bad or anything, I mean, I like to soak it up with a flour tortilla and munch away, but the main point is the dip-ability of the stuff right? It's not fun trying to get a scoop of Pico De Gallo juice on your chip then into your mouth without wearing it.

Next....citrus juice. I've used both lemon and lime. The lime is better tasting but lemon is fine. Please use fresh when possible...especially if you're using lemon juice. Have you ever tasted that bottled stuff? Try it...just a little lick....now taste the juice from a fresh squeezed lemon. Now, tell me which one YOU would like to taste in your Pico De Gallo. uh huh....thats what I thought.

Two minor things (minor in my opinion)...onions and jalapenos. You can use red or white onions. They're both good and fresh....it's a personal preference. Now, I might get some flack here, but I don't really wanna hear it cuz it's my opinion based on my personal taste so I'm gonna give it...so there!...LOL. I use the jarred Nacho Jalapeno Slices in my Pico De Gallo. I've used fresh ones before and I find that the jarred jalapnos have more flavor. I'm not into heat so I remove the seeds and veins and chop them up real small. If you prefer fresh....please do it. It's what the original recipe called for anyway.

Oh..I almost forgot. Besides eating it with tortilla chips, in fajitas and burritos, etc....I take a couple of spoonfuls (especially the juice) and mix it in with 2 smashed avocados for just about the best guacamole you've ever had. Seriously...you oughta try it.

Here ya go. I didn't bother taking pictures of everything chopped up. I mean, it's not like you've never seen diced tomatoes and onions right? So lets get to the meat of it!

6 roma (plum) tomatoes, diced

1 small onion, diced

1 jalapeno chili, seeded and finely chopped

1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

2 tablespoons lime juice

1 teaspoon salt

Mix all ingredients. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour so that the flavors blend.