2 Beet Salsas : Pink salsa and Spicy Beet Pickle.

I grew up knowing that if we didn’t have salsa on the table that meal wasn’t going to be the same, a salsa it’s key in every meal and since very little I got used to eat chillies, all of this is pretty normal in our culture, but then it just becomes almost like a necessity to have that extra kick in our food every time I swear this is what keeps any Mexican soul happy!

This would become sometimes a bit silly when some members of my family liked a really spicy salsa so much so that if they weren’t almost crying and barely breathing from the heat for them it wouldn’t be a good salsa! I have many stories of this happening and I’m sure that anyone from Mexico or who has ever met a Mexican fellow would find this relatable.

A salsa it’s so important in a meal that every household has their own recipe, I remember until this day my grandma Tita’s salsa recipe she lightly fries some chilies (like serranos or jalapeños ), a bit of onion and blends it chunky with skinless tomatoes and a bit of water, simply seasoned with salt and pepper and that’s it but this straight forward concoction just tastes so good.

My granny Marina would simply boil fresh serrano chillies (the most commonly used chilli In Mexico), tomatoes, a piece of onion and some of her magic, seasoned with salt and pepper and blended smooth, I realise this might sound very simple but until this day none makes a salsa as delicious as my granny Marina does.

My Mum has her own signature salsa and so does my Dad, but that’s another story that maybe I would share with you another time, and just like this every home has a recipe and a way to have that spicy fix, every time I would go over I try to take notes of my aunties recipes or everyone I know, not everyone is willing to reveal their secrets though :) but it’s really fun to try to find out the secrets of everyone’s house salsa.

One of my oldest recipes and that I make often is this pink salsa, which I’m happy to share with you! if you love beets like I do you would certainly like this. Made with blistered habanero, toasted sesame seeds, greek yoghurt, lime juice and raw beetroot, my favourite ingredients into this fresh, vibrant and spicy salsa, that not only is pretty in colour but tastes amazing too and goes well on everything.

You can decide how much habanero to add depending on how spicy you like it, I also remove the skin, make sure when you do this that you do it carefully as the spiciness will transfer into your hands and then into everything else you touch, (eyes , ouch ! don’t make that mistake please).

I do it with my bare hands but just be careful not to touch the pith or rib of the habanero too much (where the spiciness concentrates, not the seeds like everyone thinks) by handling it mainly with the knife. Once I’m done prepping the habanero, I rub my hands with a handful of sugar and a teaspoon of olive oil, and then exfoliate any remaining capsaicin in my hands, wash with soap thoroughly and you should be good to go, repeat this procedure if you think is necessary.

The second salsa is a quick and spicy pickle, made mainly by finely chopped raw beets, red onion and fresh chilli, all is cured with lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and extra virgin olive oil, it can be eaten immediately or even better overnight to allow the beets to get softer in texture and absorb all the pickle juices .

I can guaranty that these two recipes would make that simple meal extra tasty and deliciously spicy !

These salsa recipes are part of my ofrenda for the Day of the Dead.