Tired of out of the bag tortilla chips and a jar of salsa?
Nacho Chips and Salsa are best when it is made fresh. The chips are warm and crispy. The salsa has all those bright fresh flavors. So lets make this festive appetizer.
INGREDIENTS 1 Tbsp Green Onion 1 Tbsp White Onion 1/2 Tbsp Garlic 1/2 Cup Tomatoes 1/3 Cup Tomatillos 1/2 Lemon 1/2 Lime 3 Tbsp Cilantro Sea Salt and Ground Pepper to taste Corn Tortillas Add sliced carrots, avocados, celery, cherry tomatoes, and olives as a garnish.
1. Salsa. Chop then add 1 Tbsp green onion, 1 Tbsp white onion, 1/2 Tbsp fresh garlic, 1/2 cup tomatoes, 1/3 cup tomatillos, and 3 Tbsp cilantro. Slice 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime.
2. Add all the chopped ingredients to a bowl. Squeeze a slice of lime and lemon to the salsa. Add 1/4 tsp sea salt and 1/4 tsp ground black pepper. Taste the salsa. You may want to add more of a particular ingredient like tomatoes or cilantro. Cover the bowl with clear wrap and place the bowl into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. The salt and citrus will make the salsa sweat those beautiful juices.
3. Nacho Seasoning. Look in your pantry for all the different dry seasoning that you have and lay them on your kitchen counter. In three small bowls, add 1/4 tsp salt and 1/4 black pepper. This is the base for our nacho chips. Pick one seasoning like onion powder and add 1/4 tsp to the first bowl. Pick garlic powder and add 1/4 tsp to the second bowl. Add a 1/4 tsp paprika to the third bowl. Taste the seasonings that you created. Now look back at your other unused ingredients options and add a 1/4 tsp to one of the bowls and taste it again. Another possibility is to use taco seasoning. In a short time, you will have 3 bowls of unique nacho seasoning. Keep all three seasonings separate. We divide our fried tortilla chips into 3 batches and season each with only one of the seasonings we created. This is a nice touch for your guests. Three different nacho chip flavors to choose from instead of just salted fried tortillas out of a bag. Don’t be surprised if your guests ask you where you bought your tortilla chips.
4. Slice 6 fresh tortillas into chips by using a large knife. Three equal cuts will make 36 chips. Heat a frying pan to 325°F with enough oil to submerge one tortilla chip. Fry a few tortillas without the tortillas overlapping each other. Once the bubbling reduces by half, then flip the tortillas over. This is not required, but I use a small frying lid to keep the tortillas from curling. The lid I use is smaller than the bottom of the inside of the frying pan and has rivets on the underside. The smaller lid allows heat to escape, and the rivets keep the oil from building up pressure. The tortillas come out uniform in shape and cook quickly with less oil.
5. Remove the lid after 1 minute with the bottom facing away from you in the event of splattering. One minute of frying with the lid will keep the tortillas flat. Fry the tortillas until they are golden brown and you see very few bubbles. You want to season the tortillas immediately.
6. So determine if you have 1/3 batch of your tortillas and season them with one of your seasoning creations. Repeat this process for the rest of the tortillas.
7. Cesar’s Margaritas. For best results keep the tequila, triple sec, blender container, and glasses cold in the freezer prior to making the margaritas. In a blender, add 4 cups of ice. Crush the ice in the blender if you prefer. Add 1 shot of triple sec, 1 Tbsp sugar, and 1 shot of tequila. Blend on burst 3-5 times. We want the sugar crystals to be suspended in the margarita and not dissolved. The suspended sugar crystals will provide a little burst of sweetness as you sip the margarita. Serve immediately, with or without adding lemon and salt to the rim of the margarita glass.
8. For the presentation, I am re-using a lidded plastic container that had muffins from the store. When I separate the lid with a scissor, then the lid fits perfectly inside the bottom. I make several holes in the lid so water can drain to the lower tray. I cover the inner tray with tin foil and make a few drain holes in the tinfoil.
9. Add a bed of crushed ice. Lay your salsa bowl in the ice. Add another small bowl with sour cream. Dust the sour cream with some of your tortilla seasonings.
10. Add sliced carrots, avocados, celery, cherry tomatoes, and olives as a garnish. Add sprigs of cilantro and celery with leaves to give that fresh garden look. Lightly salt and pepper the garnish items. Ready to serve.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you enjoy your own Nacho Chips and Salsa. Remember to share your recipes.