Friday 18 February 2011

Rocket and Roses Firey Green Pepper and Tomato Salsa

Kitchen Play list:    Hot Stuff ~ Donna Summer 
                                  Cochise ~ Audioslave
                                  I Hold On ~  Slash/Kid Rock
                                  Work ~ Kelly Rowland
                                  (I kid you not! Hot Stuff actually came on as I began to chop the chilli! lol)

Now, now, now...before you all start to say, "Green Pepper?...Yuck!", please give me a moment to explain this recipe. I am usually on the same band wagon when it comes to much disliked green pepper. Whenever we buy a bag of mixed peppers, they are always the ones hanging around in the pepper draw, waiting to be used. I dislike them raw and to be honest I'm not the biggest fan when they are cooked. But I have been trying to come up with a way to use them up other than the lovely Bean & Caper Sauce that I make to go with pasta. My Love is a great fan of chilli's and salsa's and I was suddenly inspired to make up a recipe and use up the glut of green peppers I had in fridge. 

And it worked. Yes...really it did. This salsa is hot and its flavours only get better with time. And the green pepper really complements the other flavours. It brings a freshness to the salsa that a yellow/red/orange sweet pepper just wouldn't. We tried it with tortilla chips and it is everything a good salsa should be. Give it try...if My Love likes it (and I can't begin to tell you how much green pepper is hated usually lol) then chances are it will work for you too...let me know how you get on? 


 Rocket and Roses Firey Green Pepper and Tomato Salsa
(Original recipe from the Rocket and Roses Vegan Kitchen) 

 6 Reg Sized Tomatoes, part seeded and roughly chopped
2 large Green Peppers, seeded and roughly chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1 Red chilli, chopped (seeds left in)
4 tbsp fresh Lime juice
1 tsp Paprika
1 tbsp Olive oil (or oil of your choice)
1 pinch of salt 

In a medium sized bowl toss in the chopped tomatoes, peppers, chilli and onion and stir to combine. Sprinkle the paprika and salt over the veggies and stir again to evenly coat them. Pour over the lime juice and stir again. Then add the olive oil and give it all one final mix. Then transfer to a container with a tightly fitting lid and store in the fridge. 
It's good if you want to eat it straight away but it does get better with time. Can be made a couple of days ahead if you want it for an occassion and the veggies still stay crisp. Enjoy!