Blender Uses

[rooloo77]

I have recently been trying to eat better. I have been making a lot of guacamole and trying to eat more fruits and veggies. I wanted to try salsa this week but I don't have a chopper. I had the idea to try using the blender. All it is doing is collecting dust anyways.......

What other things can I make with the blender? Will the salsa work?

 

[Fearless Kitchen]

I'm not sure if the salsa will work. I guess it depends on the texture you want it to be... I used to make a lot of smoothies in the blender. Just use some partially-thawed frozen fruit, some ice and some yogurt and you've got a tasty treat.

 

[vyapti]

I use my blender several times a week. I use it alot to make sauces, creamy soups, and smoothies (my wife at least); mostly sauces though.

 

[kitchenelf]

Just use a knife for your salsa. No special equipment is needed.

tomatoes
spring onion/green onion
white or red onion
fresh cilantro
fresh lime juice
salt and a bit of pepper

That's it! Just chop everything about the same size and you are done.

Sometimes I will use ONLY spring onion and sometimes I will use only red or white onion. If I have both then I mix both of them in. Some VERY finely shredded cabbage is also good.

This version, where eveything is fresh, is called pico de gallo.

You can also make the "salsa" version with pureed tomatoes or squished whole tomatoes and the same above ingredients. It has more liquidy stuff for some good scooping!!!! If you want it a bit thicker add a bit of tomato paste. This version is also good slightly warm.

 

[Scotch]

I also prefer just to chop the salsa ingredients. The blender tends to make the salsa too soupy for my taste.

Some things, such as your chiles, need to be minced, but most of the ingredients can be left in about ¼" to ½" pieces. If you want it a little juicer, just mash the tomatoes with a spoon or potato masher.

 

[mariners2010]

Just use a knife for your salsa. No special equipment is needed.

tomatoes
spring onion/green onion
white or red onion
fresh cilantro
fresh lime juice
salt and a bit of pepper

That's it! Just chop everything about the same size and you are done.

Sometimes I will use ONLY spring onion and sometimes I will use only red or white onion. If I have both then I mix both of them in. Some VERY finely shredded cabbage is also good.

This version, where eveything is fresh, is called pico de gallo.

You can also make the "salsa" version with pureed tomatoes or squished whole tomatoes and the same above ingredients. It has more liquidy stuff for some good scooping!!!! If you want it a bit thicker add a bit of tomato paste. This version is also good slightly warm.

Thanks for the tips.

 

[Mel!]

What I use my blender most for is to make shakes. Shakes are a great way to eat lots of fruit. I have them as actual meals, when I want to lose a pound or two. Whizz up fruit, milk or yogurt, honey or sugar. You can also add some nuts, if you want.

 

[Uncle Bob]

Every time I see this thread I can't help but sing Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville!
--- "but there's booze in the blender, and soon it will render".....

 

[MexicoKaren]

Every Mexican cook has a blender - it is the most essential piece of kitchen equipment here, and even the small tiendas sell blender parts. They use them to make those delicious sauces with many layers of subtle taste that Mexico is famous for. They all start out with dried chiles that are soaked in hot water to rehydrate, then whirled in the blender. And like many others who have commented, I don't use any mechanical assist to make salsa, either. Just a sharp knife and a chopping board. I don't think you would get the desired result in a blender, or even a food processor.

 

[Big Shot]

As of late, all I seem to make for "salsa" is pico de gallo, so yeah, lots of knife work. However, you can make a fine picante in your blender I am sure. We used to make a great tomatillo picante in our food processor before it broke. The one problem you will have is keeping it. It will get very watery if you try to store it in the fridge for more than a few hours. I got to the point where I only made enough for the meal it was intended for. Make sure you put a fine dice to the onions first though, as I don't think the blender would handle them very well. Here is a pretty good recipe I use when I want something closer to picante than pico these days....

• 4 large tomatoes
• OR
• 10 Roma tomatoes
• 2-5 Jalepenos (depending on size)
• 2 Serrano peppers
• 2 Caribe peppers
• 1 small Pablano pepper
• 1 sweet onion
• 4 cloves of garlic
• ~1 tbsp worth of cilantro leaves
• a couple pinches of salt
• a pinch of cumin
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar

Remove the stem from the Pablano and Caribe peppers, slice in half and remove the seeds and membrane. Place in a 400 degree oven to roast until they begin to blister. Remove to cool.

Puree the Serrano peppers, garlic, and 2 Roma tomatoes (or 1/2 of one of the large tomatoes) in a food processor.

Remove the seeds from half of your Jalepeno peppers and discard. Dice the Jalepeno peppers, remaining tomatoes, onion, and all the roasted peppers.

Finely dice the cilantro and combine ALL ingredients in a large bowl. Stir well. Set aside in the fridge for 2-3 hours to stew. Remove from the fridge 20-30 minutes prior to serving.

Disclaimer: All mouths are not created equal. Adjust the quantity of seeds you leave in the recipe to suit your personal tastes. Me personally, I like it HOT. Sometimes I even leave in more seeds!!!