Clay's Kitchen : Salsa Recipes

Salsa Recipes

© Copyright 1995-2023, Clay Irving <clay@panix.com>, Manhattan Beach, CA USA

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Black Bean, Tropical Fruit And Queso Blanco Salsa

Recipe from: Norman Van Aken
Servings: 4

My talented friend chef Douglas Rodriguez gave me the inspiration for this salsa at a fantastic party he threw. Queso blanco, a staple of Latin cuisine, is uniquely textured, simply yet assertively flavored, and quite pleasant to nibble. In this recipe, the cheese balances the acidity of the orange and mango. A no-brainer with chips, queso blanco salsa is a great accompaniment to grilled chicken breasts as well. You can prepare the dressing up to a day before you assemble the salsa. And the salsa is also good a day after - assuming there is any left over.

For the Salsa:
1 cup well-rinsed, canned black beans
⅓ cup finely diced red bell pepper
¼ cup finely chopped scallions, white and light green parts only
1 Scotch bonnet chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
¾ cup crumbled queso blanco
¾ cup diced mango
½ cup coarsely chopped orange sections
1 ½ teaspoons Spanish sherry vinegar
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 cup diced ripe avocado

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients except the avocado in the order listed. Very gently, fold in the avocado, to avoid smashing the delicate ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until chilled.

For the Dressing:
1 ½ teaspoons minced shallot
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoons coarsely chopped Italian parsley
½ teaspoons toasted and ground cumin seeds
¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and whisk them well. Cover and refrigerate. To serve, gently fold the dressing into the salsa. Season to taste and serve.


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