FOODIE Quickie: Fresh Salsa

I just realized today that I've never posted my go-to salsa recipe on here and well... that's a problem.  The one I use comes from the master himself: Rick Bayless.  If you want a good salsa recipe, he's your man.  This recipe comes from his cookbook, Mexican Everyday.


Everyone should have a good salsa recipe so they can whip up their own fresh salsa whenever the mood strikes them.  Because let's be honest, fresh salsa is really the only way to go.  That cooked down, preservative-filled stuff they sell in the chip aisle really isn't good.  It's got a weird runny, smooshy consistency and the taste is anything but fresh. 

When I think of salsa, I think of bright, fresh flavors like lime and cilantro, fresh tomatoes, spicy jalapeno, and I like some crunch and chunkiness in my salsa.  The only way you're gonna get any of this is by either making it yourself, or having someone else make it for you.  So you know what... stop whining and just do it yourself. ;-) 




Learn it now because Spring is here and Summer is coming and you're gonna need something to eat with your icy cold Negra Modelo. 

Whole Wheat Penne with Sausage, Cannellini, and Kale

I was listening to my favorite channel on SiriusXM, Cosmo Radio (Sirius 111, XM 162), and there's a show that airs every Thursday from 1-3pm est called "Cosmo Life with Victoria" where Victoria shares tips on beauty (hair care, makeup, etc.), fashion, lifestyle, and FOOD!  It's a great show jam packed with so many great tips that I highly recommend it.  If you're female... it's a no brainer.  Check out Victoria's blog here to keep up with all her tips and recipes.

So anyway, on last week's show, Victoria had Dr. Lindsey Duncan in as her guest and he was a wealth of knowledge on nutrition, and more importantly... SUPER FOODS.  There's food that's good for you, and then there's super foods.  You know, the ones that like, I don't know, help to prevent cancer and stuff?  I'm a fan.  One of the super foods mentioned was kale.  If you're a kale fan already, then you know how delicious it is and how great it makes you feel when you incorporate it into your meals.  How super is kale you ask?  Here's a little bit about kale:

• Kale's risk-lowering benefits for cancer have recently been extended to at least five different types of cancer. These types include cancer of the bladder, breast, colon, ovary, and prostate. 

• Researchers can now identify over 45 different flavonoids in kale. With kaempferol and quercetin heading the list, kale's flavonoids combine both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits in way that gives kale a leading dietary role with respect to avoidance of chronic inflammation and oxidative stress.  

• Kale is a natural source of antioxidant vitamin A, which helps support eye and skin health and may help protect your body from the damage caused by free radicals.

As soon as I heard Dr. Lindsey mention kale on the show, I immediately thought of one of my favorite things to make for a weeknight dinner.  This pasta made with sausage, onions, kale, and cannellini beans is so delicious and good for you that you'll want to make it a part of your regular dinner rotation.  It's also pretty quick and easy to make, which makes it great for weeknights and it makes enough to take leftovers for lunch the next day, too.  Find out how to make it after the jump.