Salsa Fresca or Fresh Salsa

Fresh Salsa is what those folks down in El Paso haven't figured out how to bottle, and what they would want to be if they could do it. It is so easy to make that I chop up a big container of it each week to have around to eat with chips, on my eggs, in my burrito, on my chili (I use ground turkey or TVP chunks [veggie meat] with black beans which are a favorable carb) or on whatever seems to need spicing up. If you eat it cold by itself, call it gazpacho and no one will ever know the difference!

Chop up the tomato into itsy bitsy teeny tiny pieces about 1/4" square or less. DO NOT run it through the food processor!!! Toss all the rest of the ingredients into the food processor with a steel blade. Chop them down pretty fine, ¼ the size pieces as the tomato. Put all ingredients in a bowl. Add salt, pepper and 1/2 t. oregano and cilantro or parsley to taste.

1 cup = 1 carbohydrate block

3 Block Menu Suggestion

I take 1 cup of salsa, then check the carbo content on my corn chips and use those (about 1 oz.) for two more carbo blocks, then melt cheese (1 oz.) over the chips and a side of 2oz. taco seasoned beef (or texturized vegetable protein) plus 3 Tbs.. avocado for 3 blocks of fat. Lunch is served!

I will note here that a TRUE Zone meal will only have 25% of the carbohydrates as unfavorable. However, doing Nacho I am a firm believer that this is a life CHANGE, not a life SENTENCE, so when I go over the 25% in unfavorables, I will add a bit more fat (guacamole) to the meal to help protect my system against all those fast acting carbs. Isn't it wonderful how knowledge and rationalization can work in our favor???

4 Block Menu Suggestion

Add one more block of chips for carbo, one more block of fat in the form of avocado or sour cream, and 1 more oz. of taco meat for protein to the above.

Never had the hot stuff? I remember when I was traveling back on the East Coast about 25 years ago and tried to find some tortillas. They had never heard of them! You can't live in Southern California without attributing some of that excess weight on your body to the bowl of chips and salsa they leave on your table the minute you sit down at a Mexican Restaurant. By the time they take your order, you are ready for a Margarita and the check because you have eaten enough carbos to last you a day or two! Then you get that high glycemic response and about an hour later you are ready for a siesta! Oh sorry, can I bring you a hunk of grilled chicken to go with that salsa?