PICO DE GALLO

Pico de gallo has always been a favourite summer condiment. It’s easy to make, and the flavour is just vibrant and fresh. Pico de Gallo shouts, “summer!” The combination of fresh lime juice and salt transforms this bowl of tomatoes and onions into something magical. Simple, magic, delicious.

Do you love pico de gallo as I do? It’s a classic Mexican tomato dip (or sauce) that adds a fresh, healthy, low-calorie flavour boost to just about any Mexican meal.

When I was little, I piled pico de gallo on my tortilla chips at our nearby Mexican restaurant and called it dinner (refill, please). I didn’t fully appreciate pico de Gallo’s wonder, though, until my family travelled to Mexico one summer when I was in college.

We stayed at an all-you-can-eat resort, which meant all-you-can-eat pico de gallo. Their pico de gallo was super fresh and utterly irresistible, and I piled it onto every meal. Eggs! Tortillas! Beans! Spaghetti, even! Why not?

What is PICO DE GALLO?

Pico de gallo, a fresh salsa, is made from tomatoes, onions and jalapenos. It also contains salt, lime, cilantro, and lime. This salsa mix is not prepared, unlike most jarred salsas you can find at the grocery store. The flavour is fresh and vibrant, and the texture is more chunky than other jarred salsas.

HOW TO USE PICO DE GALLO

Pico de gallo is a condiment that can easily be poured over any savoury food to add freshness. Here are some things I love to spoon it over.

• tacos
• enchiladas
• scrambled eggs
• Burritos and Burrito Bowls
• nachos
• Guacamole
• quesadillas
• Chicken or Fish
• Burgers
• Serve as a simple, fresh dip for chips!

WHERE IS THE JALAPENO??

So that’s where I go off the beaten path with traditional pico de gallo recipes. For whatever reason, I prefer my spicy food without jalapeno. The recipe below is therefore written without it. You can also make it traditional by seeding and dicing one jalapeno and adding it to the mixture.

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU ADD?

Pico de gallo can be a starting point for many fresh salsas. These are some additional ingredients that you can add to make your salsa more complex.

• pineapple
• avocado
• corn
• Mango
• peaches
• chipotle peppers

PICO DE GALLO

Pico de Gallo is a quick and simple recipe that adds fresh flavour to tacos, enchiladas, and nachos.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 10 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tomatoes (2 cups diced) ($1.50)
• 1/2 Vidalia onion (1 cup diced) ($0.37)
• One lime ($0.50).
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro ($0.20)
• 1/4 tsp salt ($0.02)

INSTRUCTIONS

• Finely chop the onion and tomato. Finely chop the cilantro. Combine the cilantro, onion, and tomato in a bowl.
• Use about 1 Tbsp of the juice from half the lime to cover the vegetables in the bowl. Mix everything with a pinch of salt. You can adjust the salt and lime juice according to your taste. Let the salsa sit for five minutes before you serve it.

NUTRITION

Calories: 13.8 Kcal Carbohydrates are 3.45 G Protein: 0.5 G Fat: 0.12g Sodium: 102.2 mg Fiber: 0.97g