I had the pleasure of training for my first Ironman with Jerrold, a good friend and triathlete known as J’Wow. He’s like a little brother to me. He’s rescued me when I was suffering from heat exhaustion during a long training ride and encouraged me to run with him when I was suffering from stomach pain during our first Ironman. And like any little brother, he thoroughly enjoys annoying me with his teasing.
I joined J’Wow at Lake Tahoe this summer when he came up to train with his coach. This is when I discovered J’Wow’s delicious fresh salsa. Fresh salsa is a very healthy snack. Tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and lime juice contain vitamin C. Jalapeños contain capsaicin, which generates heat, increases the heart rate when consumed and naturally raises the metabolic rate. Avocados contain healthy fats, mostly oleic acid, which helps reduce bad cholesterol. In addition, avocados contain protein, fiber and is an excellent source of potassium. What a delicious way to consume raw and nutritious fruits and vegetables.
J’Wow prefers chips with a hint of lime flavor to serve with the salsa. I’ve used the salsa with fish tacos, burritos and a variety of chips. Although you can serve the salsa right away, it tastes even better the next day after all the flavors have had a chance to marry. We had 6 people in the house and this recipe made enough salsa for us to enjoy for 2 days.
Serving size: 12
Ingredients:
- 10 tomatoes on the vine diced
- 1 large yellow onion diced
- 1 green bell pepper diced
- 3 ripe avocado diced
- ¼ cup finely chopped cilantro
- 2 – 2 1/2 jalapeño peppers, seeds removed and minced
- ½ cup of lime juice (4 medium fresh limes)
- Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
In a large bowl, dice the tomatoes, onion, green bell pepper and avocado. Add finely chopped cilantro and minced jalapeno peppers. I removed the seeds and was careful to wash my hands well after handling the peppers. Add more or less peppers depending on your taste and how hot the peppers are.
Add the lime juice. One fresh medium lime should yield about 2 teaspoon of juice. If the limes are small or dry, you may need more than 4 limes to yield ½ cup. To get the most juice out of a lime, I put pressure roll it on the cutting board while putting pressure on it with the palm of my hand. I then use a reamer. You can also put it in the microwave for 20 seconds before squeezing.
Toss all of the ingredients together. Add salt and pepper to taste.
The Hungry Athlete 