Chipotle Corn Salsa

This is another one I've already made multiple times but hadn't written about yet. First it was a Chef and the Dietitian episode:



and then I remember seeing this recipe a few years back on the Forks Over Knives web site and asked myself why should I make salsa when there are plenty of tasty ones in the grocery store. Well, as my stash of jars got low this winter I decided I better try my hand at making some salsa, and since I had already been making a lot of AJ recipes, said what the heck and pulled up this one.

Chipotle Corn Salsa

Ingredients:

•    1 – one pound bag of frozen corn, defrosted
•    2 – 15 ounce cans of Pinto beans, drained and rinsed
•    One pound of Roma Tomatoes (approximately 4), seeded and diced
•    One bunch of Cilantro, chopped
•    4 scallions (or more, to taste) finely chopped
•    1 tbsp Chipotle Paste (or ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder) or more to taste
•    Juice and zest from 4 limes

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl.  Flavors will improve on sitting.  Stir well before serving.

Let's see, I already had corn, pintos, diced tomatoes, chipotle powder, a jar of lemon juice, even scallions. The only thing I didn't have was cilantro, and I always use parsley when a recipe calls for cilantro, and had plenty of jarred dried parsley. A few tablespoons did the trick. The Chef and the Dietitian video also used one can of sliced black olives, so I added them, too.

The whole thing went together in just minutes. But I do have a confession to make: I mis-read the recipe I thought it said 4 bunches of scallions, so that's what I chopped up and used. My husband liked it so much as it is, every time I make it now I use that much. No harm, no foul. :)

I made it up in the morning to use in a recipe that evening, but when my husband saw it in the refrigerator when he took his lunch break, he grabbed a few spoonfuls to accompany his sandwich. Even though it had sat maybe an hour, he declared it Fantastic! and Perfect! That was good, because this made up so much that the container you see in the photo is 12 cups, and this was snapped after he took almost 2 cups with lunch. The recipe makes about 8 cups making it my way.

I'e made this twice more since the photo batch, but instead of leaving it all in that gigantic Pyrex I split it up. In the refrigerator I put a quart canning jar full, and in the freezer I put 2 to 3 pint sized jars, and when the fridge jar is empty I just pull out the next.

One time I made His and Hers jars, putting even more chipotle powder in his. Hubby liked it, but said to just leave it alone and not do that anymore, that he prefers it a bit blander, the way I like it, because that way he can mix it with a lot more foods and the spiciness won't overpower it. Just now for lunch he ate his usual seitan sandwich on one whole wheat roll, and between 2 slices of ww bread he made himself a salsa sandwich. I was eating leftover rice for my lunch and just added a few tablespoons to it for a tasty meal for myself, too. Many times at dinner he'll been pulling a jar out and adding a few spoons to whatever we're eating, too. At least doing this he's getting plenty of fiber and phytonutrients and not getting all the sodium he was getting when pouring on a few ounces of sriracha sauce, like he use to do.

Next post I'll be making the meal I originally made this salsa for. Stay tuned!