Recipe: Mediterranean Salsa

Mediterranean Salsa

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup fine chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tomatoes, seeded, chopped
24 green olives, chopped fine
2 Anaheim Chiles, seeded and chopped fine
1 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt

In large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until lightly browned.  Add remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to low.  Simmer 5 minutes.

This recipe has a unique blend of flavors and the perfect amount of heat.  It is from the first cookbook I wrote, MILD TO WILD MEXICAN COOKBOOK.  The recipe was a last minute addition.  The designer called me, saying she needed one more salsa recipe to complete the Appetizer section of the book.

I had already put all of my salsa recipes in the cookbook, so I had to create a new one.  As I opened my cabinet, I was praying for inspiration.  The first thing  that caught my eye, was a jar of green olives.  I immediately thought back to a conversation I'd had earlier in the day with Fareed, the owner of my favorite radio station, Passion Radio, where I do my "Fast Food Friday" segment.  We had discussed how much we both loved Mediterranean food, so when I saw the green olives, I knew I had to make a salsa with them in it. It only took two batches of salsa to get the desired blend of flavors.

My husband loves this recipe, so It is probably the one recipe that I make the most.  When I am creating a recipe, and I get it just the way I want it, I will seldom make it again.  I have to keep coming up with new recipes, because I am always working on a new cookbook, and you can't do that if you keep making the same recipe over and over again.

MILD TO WILD MEXICAN COOKBOOK, will soon be republished by my current publisher. 

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