Basic Pico de Gallo a la Emily

Pico de gallo. That wonderful, wonderful condiment. I'm not a huge fan of dipping in pico, there are other homemade salsas I like better for that application, but I AM a huge fan of using it as my mexican food topping of choice. Chicken tacos x's 2, enchiladas, you name it if it's latin american inspired-I'm heaping pico de gallo on top every single time. (My taste buds say ground meat mexican dishes aren't good candidates for pico-but shredded pork, beef, or chicken numbers definitely are.) I'm sharing this in conjunction with this amazing white chicken chili because it's an absolutely necessary addition in my humble opinion.

It can seem a tad time-consuming what with the chopping, and seeding, and chopping some more. But it's oh so worth it.

Basic Pico de Gallo

A word to the wise-this is more a list of ingredients and less a use this exact amount recipe. Personalize to your tastes and taste plenty as you go to direct what you add more of. The real key with pico is to use LOTS of the non-tomato items. Most people use onions and cilantro as a minor addition to tomatoes. Don't do it! Shoot for an equal amount of onions to tomato ratio. And plenty of cilantro is a must. Lastly, removing the juicy seedy pulp from the tomatoes before chopping and adding them to the bowl is crucial in my opinion. More time consuming, but crucial.

6+ roma tomatoes, halved, seeds and extra juice removed, and chopped into itty bitty pieces

1 large white onion, chopped into pieces similar in size to tomatoes

3-4 cloves garlic, finely minced

juice of one lime or lemon

1 T white vinegar, give or take

plenty of kosher salt and black pepper to taste

1 jalapeno, mostly seeded and very finely minced

garlic powder to taste if desired

generous handful of cilantro, chopped

Optional: red pepper flakes for added heat

Combine all ingredients, taste and adjust. Best if you let sit a bit before serving so flavors can meld. Keeps for about a day, but really not any longer. Best served the same day.

Jazzed Up Garlic Artichoke Dip

This dip is such creamy, tangy, garlick-y goodness. Most restaurants these days have some sort of cream cheese based dip on the appetizer menu and I really think this blows them all out of the water! The original recipe comes from Our Best Bites and since I can't leave well-enough alone I added a few extra things and cut down the artichokes to make up for it. I've made this recipe the original way and my way and both are fabulous. (but truth be told I prefer my way!) It simply never disappoints.

Jazzed Up Garlic Artichoke Dip

{Adapted slightly from Our Best Bites}

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened (1/3 less is perfect)

1 cup mayo (no miracle whip or non-fat)

1 6 oz. jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

6 cloves garlic, pressed

1 cup spinach leaves, chopped

2 medium tomatoes chopped (grape is fine, about a cup'll do ya)

Black pepper, a few good cranks

1 cup grated parmesan cheese (grate it fresh, pre-grated doesn't work well here)

1 loaf of sourdough bread, sliced for dipping (or tortilla chips or homemade pita-yum!)

Preheat oven to 350. Place softened cream cheese and mayo in mixing bowl and stir to combine. (I use my kitchen-aid) Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Spoon dip into a medium sized baking dish. 9-inch pie plate, 8x8 or 9x9 square pyrex dishes are all good options. Bake for 25 minutes or until lightly golden and melted. Serve with thin slices of sourdough bread for dipping.