What is included in the sauce, what are the recipes for making the dressing? Useful properties of salsa and contraindications for use.
Salsa is a rather spicy vegetable dressing from Mexican cuisine that has an unusually bright taste and color. It is included in other Mexican sauces and is served mainly with main courses. It has a lot of useful substances, therefore it is able to tone the body not only due to its burning taste! Despite all the useful properties, there are categories of consumers who should refuse a spicy product.
The composition and calorie content of salsa sauce
The standard composition of salsa sauce includes few components, the main thing is that the most ripe, red and juicy tomatoes, as well as hot chili peppers, are present. Onions, fresh cilantro, salt and sour lime juice are used as additional ingredients for the preparation of the dressing.
Salsa is originally from Mexico, here the sauce is called "Salsa Roja" because of its rich red color - this phrase is translated from Spanish as "red sauce".
According to the rules of traditional Mexican cuisine, salsa can be served in two varieties: raw or boiled. The ingredients of the lard sauce can be cut into small or large pieces. Hot dressing is usually used not for serving as a sauce, but for preparing snacks, main courses, or other gravies.
The calorie content of salsa sauce per 100 g is 29 kcal, of which:
- Proteins - 1.5 g;
- Fat - 0.2 g;
- Carbohydrates - 6, 7 g;
- Dietary fiber - 1, 8 g;
- Water - 89, 18 g.
The ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates: 1: 0, 1: 4, 5.
Vitamins per 100 g of product:
- Vitamin C - 4 mg;
- Vitamin B1 - 0.1 mg;
- Vitamin PP - 1.1 mg;
- Vitamin B6 - 0.1 mg;
- Vitamin A - 28 mcg
Minerals per 100 g of salsa sauce:
- Calcium, Ca - 12 mg;
- Iron, Fe - 2.2 mg;
- Magnesium, Mg - 16 mg;
- Phosphorus, P - 30 mg;
- Potassium, K - 270 mg;
- Sodium, Na - 430 mg;
- Zinc, Zn - 0.2 mg;
- Copper, Cu - 0.1 mg;
- Selenium, Se - 0.4 μg.
On a note! One teaspoon holds 6 g of salsa sauce, and 25 g in a tablespoon.
Benefits of salsa sauce
To get the most out of this dressing, you must eat it raw. So vegetables will retain not only their rich taste palette, but also an extensive vitamin and mineral complex.
Salsa is a fairly low-calorie product that is free from animal fats and bad cholesterol. That is why it is almost impossible to recover from it. It is also proven that a properly prepared sauce contributes to the production of endorphins in the human body (hormones of joy and at the same time pain relievers).
The health benefits of salsa are a frequent topic of discussion for nutritionists and other healthcare professionals. The main medicinal properties of the product:
- Optimizes digestion, improves appetite … The dressing contains capsaicin, which stimulates blood circulation in the digestive system. Due to this, the volume of secreted digestive juices in the stomach increases, the work of the pancreas and liver is optimized. Also, an alkaloid is a kind of remedy for the prevention of constipation.
- Helps with bronchial diseases … All the same capsaicin is actively involved in the process of thinning mucus that accumulates in the bronchi. By the way, this alkaloid appeared in salsa thanks to one of the burning ingredients - chili pepper.
- Provides a general healing effect on the entire body … The sauce contains many vitamins and other nutrients that optimize the functioning of the circulatory system, strengthen the immune system, and improve the condition of the skin of the body, hair and nails.
Interesting! The word "salsa" has two meanings: literally translated from Spanish, it means "sauce", and is also the name of a popular Latin American dance.
Contraindications and harm of salsa sauce
You should not get carried away with dressing and eat it almost every day - nutritionists and gastroenterologists, along with the beneficial properties, are actively discussing the harm of salsa sauce.
Vitamin dressing has a rather pungent taste, so it can seriously harm your stomach, especially if you rarely eat hot foods (chili peppers, mustard, etc.). For the same reason, the sauce is not recommended for people suffering from inflammatory and erosive diseases of the stomach.
Many consumers do not realize that with regular consumption of salsa sauce in large quantities, you can lose the sensitivity of the taste buds located in the mouth. Under such circumstances, a person ceases to feel the taste of food, so any dishes seem bland to him.
Also, doctors emphasize that salsa, like any other spicy product, can cause exacerbations of gout, urolithiasis and hypertension. Therefore, if you have the listed pathologies, minimize the consumption of sauce or completely abandon it.
How to make salsa sauce?
Absolutely everyone who does not have special culinary knowledge and skills can make salsa sauce at home. The working process takes no more than 15-20 minutes.
Classic salsa sauce recipe:
- Peel 0.5 kg of the most ripe and juicy tomatoes. Then chop them into small cubes. If you want the sauce to be a smooth consistency, grind the tomatoes until puree.
- Cut 2 onions into medium-sized cubes.
- Chop fresh cilantro as small as possible (a few twigs).
- Combine all prepared ingredients and season them with salt and pepper to your liking.
- Peel one chili pepper from the seeds, do not forget that its inner partitions should be cut along with the seeds. Add this ingredient in the amount that works best for you - keep in mind that chili makes the sauce very hot.
- When the food is almost done, season with a little lime juice. This ingredient will add a pleasant sourness to the dressing.
- The sauce is ready to eat! Remember that you can always preserve the filling for the winter, for this you should boil the prepared sauce and roll it up in sterilized jars.
The first refueling recipe has been around for many years. Over the years, the way salsa is prepared and its ingredients have changed and improved. So, modern chefs prefer to add all kinds of additional ingredients to the standard salsa recipe - vegetables and even fruits. The combined fruit and berry sauce is very popular.
We present to your attention one of these original recipes for canned cherry salsa:
- Wash 1 lemon and finely chop the yellow rind. To make this easier, use a vegetable peeler.
- Toss the zest and canned cherries in a large bowl (choose a 670 ml jar).
- Add to this mixture half of one red onion, chopped into small pieces.
- Peel a small piece of ginger and grate it on a fine grater. Add this mixture to the sauce.
- Season the prepared sauce with 2 tbsp. l. fresh basil (pre-chopped).
- Hot and sweet sauce is ready to eat! This dressing is ideal for meat dishes or liver. The total cooking time for the sauce is 10-15 minutes.
Not everyone knows about the existence of such a plant as vegetable physalis. The member of the Solanov family is a close relative of tomatoes, so it can also be used to make salsa sauce at home.
Salsa recipes
According to Mexican traditions, salsa is always seasoned with tartilla cakes, nachos and other types of national snacks. The gravy goes well with salads and meat dishes.
We present to your attention some simple recipes for dishes using salsa:
- Mexican Rice Salad … Cook 2, 5 tbsp. rice. Rinse it under cold water (to keep it crumbly) and leave to dry on parchment. Prepare 100g salsa sauce and mix with 2 tbsp. l. lime juice. Add Italian salad dressing (100 g) and cooked rice to the mixture. Finely chop 1 red bell pepper and 220 g of fresh corn kernels (it is advisable to boil the kernels a little before use). Add a few sprigs of cilantro and chives (finely chopped) to the mixture. The salad is ready, now he needs to brew in the refrigerator in an airtight container.
- Meat rolls … Finely chop 1 onion and 1 medium garlic clove. Toast the ingredients for 1 tbsp. l. vegetable oil. When the vegetables are almost cooked, add 340 g of ground beef to them. Use a spatula to actively break up the lumps of meat while frying. Hold the meat in a pan for 3 minutes, and then pour 0.5 tbsp. salsa and sprinkle: 2 tsp. chili powder, salt and pepper. Simmer the mixture over low heat for 10 minutes. Buy tortilla cakes from the store and reheat them in the microwave. Put the finished minced meat on the cakes so that it forms a thin layer. It is important that the edges of the cake remain intact. Sprinkle the minced meat with grated cheddar cheese. Roll the cakes into tubes. Now they should be sent to the oven. To do this, place the snacks on a foil-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle a little vegetable oil on the tubules. Bake for 10 minutes. Serve the cakes when they are golden brown. Sour cream rolls are tastier.
- Fish in foil … Buy a fillet of white fish - to prepare this dish you will need about 900 g of product. Brush the fish with vegetable oil, salt and pepper. Prepare the fish marinade: Toss the salsa with a little lemon juice, finely chopped onions, 2 juicy tomatoes, and 2 tbsp. l. chopped parsley. Put the finished marinade on the already prepared fish fillet. Wrap it in foil and bake in the oven for 15-18 minutes.
- Hot cheese sandwiches … Mix 45 g of butter with grated Parmesan cheese (choose the amount of cheese at your discretion). Add the salsa sauce and finely chopped parsley to the mixture. Now start preparing the baguette. You will subsequently bake it in the oven, so cut the bread so that the knife does not reach the base and the loaf on one side remains whole. Place the prepared filling between the slices of bread and place the baguette in the oven. Bake the snack for 15 minutes. Decorate the finished dish with herbs.
- Beef with spicy sauce … Fry 1 onion and 1 bell pepper (chopped) in vegetable oil. Cut 0.5 kg of beef into oblong pieces and add it to the pan with the vegetables. Fry the meat until tender. Add 1 tbsp to an almost finished dish. salsa sauce, 400 g of canned tomatoes in their own juice. Simmer all ingredients over low heat for 3-5 minutes. The beef is ready! Serve it with any side dish.
Interesting Salsa Facts
The salsa recipe is known to be native to Mexico. It was brought to Europe by the Spanish conquerors in the distant 16th century. The filling immediately fell to the taste of the Europeans, but its industrial production was established only at the beginning of the twentieth century in New Orleans.
Various variations of the sauce are currently sold in foreign stores. It is especially popular in America. However, domestic markets practically do not purchase these products. You can enjoy salsa only in Mexican restaurants.
How to make salsa sauce - watch the video:
The popular Latin American dressing is a healthy food that should be eaten in limited quantities. Skip refueling if you suffer from serious gastrointestinal problems or high blood pressure. If you can't find salsa on the shelves of local stores, prepare it at home - it will take you no more than 20 minutes!
