Roasted Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa

Larry said he wanted quesadillas with the smoked pork for dinner.  Cool beans!  We love quesadillas and eat them quite often.  There is no right or wrong way to make them.  Queso is cheese, so obviously queso and tortillas are the main ingredients.  Anything else is up to your imagination.  Just like with anything though, when I make quesadillas, I load them up with plenty of stuff.  I added onions, jalapeno, corn and garlic to my pork for the filling.  It is hard for me to order quesadillas at most restaurants though because I know they do not make them nearly as good as I do.  I needed a good salsa to really bring out the smoky flavors of the pork, so I made a roasted tomato and jalapeno salsa.  The roasted flavors of the tomatoes and jalapeno went really well with the smoky pork.

This salsa is super easy to make and only requires a few basic ingredients.  You can use any kind of tomatoes you like, but I used a couple of heirlooms and a Roma.  It’s fun to play around and mix and match the tomatoes.  Tomatoes are in abundance and are super fresh and flavorful at this time of year too, so there are all kinds of tomatoes available.

Roasted Tomato and Jalapeno Salsa

Preheat the oven to 375* F or 190* C.

2-3 large tomatoes – your choice, stems removed

1-2 jalapenos

1/2 red onion, diced fine

1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine

1/4 cup green onions, sliced very thin

1 TBSP garlic

1 tsp chili powder, or chili lime powder

1 tsp oregano

salt & pepper to taste

1 TBSP paprika

1 TBSP red wine vinegar

 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place the tomatoes on the parchment paper.  You can also roast the jalapeno with the tomatoes too, or you can do it over an open flame.

Roast the tomatoes for about 30 minutes, or until they are nice and soft.

When the tomatoes and jalapeno have cooled (and peeled and seeded for the jalapeno), cut them into large chunks and place them in a food processor with all the spices and vinegar.

You can put all the ingredients in the food processor if you like, but I like a chunky salsa, so I only put the tomatoes, jalapeno and spices in the food processor.  The rest of my ingredients I diced fine, then mixed with my tomato mixture after.  Because the tomatoes are soft, this only requires a few pulses and a few seconds to become a liquid.

Your salsa esta listo!  Chill in the refrigerator for at least an hour before using. !La salsa esta muy bueno y muy delicioso! !Desfruitas!

Stay safe and stay well Everyone.  ‘Til next time.