3 Easy Salsas: Green, Yellow and Red

By: Robin Miller

I adore salsa, and I'll take it any color I can find it. Any texture, too: thick, thin, chunky, smooth -- it's all good to me. I use my food processor to puree (or almost-puree) each one, but you can certainly toss together the ingredients by hand for a chunkier version.

Use these recipes as a template to create your own salsas. They're great not only as dips but also as fresh, colorful and nutritious toppings for chicken, fish, steak, and pork tenderloin. I've also used pureed salsas to marinate chicken, steak and pork chops.

A few tips to get you started:

• Always stick with fresh ingredients, from the tomatoes to the onions, the herbs, garlic, and citrus juice (remember, this is a fresh addition to your menu).

• Try fresh lemon, orange or grapefruit juice instead of lime juice.

• Mix up onion varieties; shallots, chives and green onions work well.

• Make salsas up to 24 hours in advance to let flavors marry (and even hit the honeymoon phase).

• Vary the heat with different chiles; jalapenos make a medium salsa while habaneros can be HOT.

• Fruit salsas are fabulous; instead of tomatoes, substitute diced peaches, nectarines or mango.

Green Salsa

2 cups diced fresh tomatillos

1/4 cup chopped red or white onion

4-ounce can diced green chiles

1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended.

Yellow Salsa

2 cups chopped yellow tomatoes

1/4 cup chopped white onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended.

Red Salsa

2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (beefsteak, plum , cherry, or grape)

1/4 cup minced red onion

1 red cayenne pepper, seeded and minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until blended.

Robin Miller is a nutritionist, host of Quick Fix Meals, author of “Robin Rescues Dinner” and the busy mom of two active little boys. Her boys and great food are her passion. Check her out at www.robinrescuesdinner.com.