There are as many salsa recipes as there are cooks, especially in the Southwest. After all, salsa means ‘sauce’ and can be made with an endless variety of fresh and seasonal vegetables, fruits and herbs.
Salsa pairs well with grilled, roasted or stuffed vegetables, eggs, a bowl of beans or simply prepared seafood, poultry or meat. In a recent YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen tutorial, host Rita Carey Rubin, Registered Dietician and diabetes Educator, demonstrates how to make two easy, everyday salsas, Charred Tomato Salsa and Italian Salsa Verde.
“Salsa can really power up your plate with flavor as well as nutrients,” Rita says, “The main ingredients in most salsas are packed with valuable phytonutrients, including allicin in garlic, quercitin in onions, and capsaicin in chilies.”
These super nutrients have antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory qualities, which help to protect us from acute and chronic diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease and possibly even the common cold.
Rita stresses that no salsa is complete without fresh herbs, like cilantro, parsley, basil or chives, which are also packed with antioxidant, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory chemicals, as well as important nutrients like calcium and iron.
Take a dip into a fresh salsa. It’s good for your taste buds, and good for your health! You can download and print Rita’s salsa recipes here:
To learn more about cooking simple, fresh and delicious meals, check out Your Healthy Kitchen at yrmchealthconnect.org. You can also follow Rita on Facebook at YRMC’s Your Healthy Kitchen, where Rita shares what she is making in her kitchen at home, as well as insider tips, recipes and great links to interesting news, websites, and videos about healthy food, cooking and gardening.