Fiery Citrus Salsa

I made a rare addition to my cookbook library on my way home from work Friday. I often stop at Borders to purchase a magazine and enjoy a mug of iced tea before making the commute up the hill.

The price and the pictures are the best things about The Complete Guide to Making Sauces by Christine France. The $7.99 price tag initially attracted me to the book. Its 256 glossy pages are full of instructive pictures for everything from heavy traditional sauces to lighter fruit-based salsas.

FIERY CITRUS SALSA

This recipe is adapted from The Complete Guide to Making Sauces. The original recipe called for fresh mint, a herb that I dislike. Cilantro will also work in this recipe.

This spicy salsa is a nice alternative to heavy, fat-laden sauces. Use a Granny Smith apple for more tart sauce. For a milder or hotter salsa, vary the number and type of hot chilies. Fiery citrus salsa is delicious alongside grilled shrimp or chicken breasts.

1 orange
1 green apple
2 fresh red chilies, halved and seeded
1 garlic clove
8 fresh parsley leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste

Peel and section the orange into bowl. Peel the apple, cut into wedges and remove the core. Place chilies in a blender or food processor with orange segments, apple wedges, garlic and parsley leaves. Process for a few seconds until smooth. Then with the motor running, slowly pour the lemon juice into the mixture. Season with salt and ground black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.