Mofongo

Mofongo

Enjoy the flavors of the Caribbean with this recipe for Mofongo! Thanks to the burst of flavor and added health benefits from the pineapple salsa, this vegetarian Mofongo recipe is sure to please everyone at your table! 

What is mofongo?

Mofongo is a Puerto Rican dish that features plantains as the main ingredient. While this traditional recipe often calls for pork, we love that this one is a vegetarian version. 

Making mofongo

Making mofongo is easier than you might think! Start by frying up ripe plantains until they’re beautifully caramelized. Then, mash them together with garlic, salt, and a touch of adobo seasoning until you achieve a delightful mash. Top it off with a pineapple salsa made with canned tomatoes, and voila – dinner is served!

Health benefits 

We’ve already mentioned that this recipe uses pineapple salsa, which is a delicious way to enjoy canned tomatoes. This convenient pantry staple not only packs a punch with flavor, but it stands out even more when it comes to nutritional value. Rich in vitamins C and K, as well as antioxidants like lycopene, canned tomatoes offer a boost to your immune system and promote healthy skin and bones. Plus, they’re a convenient way to add vibrant flavor and depth to dishes like this one.

So, what are you waiting for? Get the recipe from our friends at Kagome USA.

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito with Fire Roasted Salsa

Chorizo Breakfast Burrito with Fire Roasted Salsa

Revitalize your mornings with the enticing flavors of a Chorizo Breakfast Burrito – a make-ahead breakfast that seamlessly combines convenience, nutrition, and a burst of savory satisfaction. Ideal for busy mornings, this recipe not only promises a swift and hearty start to your day but also serves as a great addition to your meal prep routine, ensuring a healthy breakfast option that doesn’t compromise on taste.

Packed with high-protein chorizo, this breakfast burrito is filled with staying power, making it an excellent choice for those looking to kickstart their day with a nutrient-rich meal. The convenience of preparing this dish in advance allows you to maximize your mornings without sacrificing the importance of a wholesome breakfast.

One of the stars of this recipe is the fire-roasted tomato salsa, as it not only elevates the taste, but also contributes to the health benefits. Tomatoes, particularly when canned, are rich in lycopene (an antioxidant with numerous health benefits), as well as vitamins A and C. These elements also support immune function and protect cells from oxidative stress, both of which can boost overall health.

Get the full recipe for this Chorizo Breakfast Burrito by visiting our friends at Pacific Coast Producers.

Check out some of our other favorite breakfast recipes:

Restaurant Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa

The best part of going to a Mexican restaurant is the homemade chips and salsa. With this recipe, you can bring the Restaurant Style Salsa to your own home. The great thing about making your own salsa is that you can make it as mild or spicy as you would like.

What’s the key ingredient to any salsa? That’s right, tomatoes! Every salsa requires tomatoes, and canned diced tomatoes do just the trick to create a simple, flavorful salsa. Not only do canned tomatoes provide a boost of juiciness to a dish, but they also have numerous health benefits. This specific recipe calls for canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, but you can also use regular canned diced tomatoes for a different flavor profile. The mixture of onions, fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and spices provides the perfect combination of savory and spicy flavor. Don’t be shy and feel free to add more spices and veggies for even more spice!

While fresh, chopped tomatoes can be used for salsa, it’s actually better to use the canned version! Research has shown that canned tomatoes are actually higher in nutritional value than fresh tomatoes due to the canning process (and they’re more affordable). When canned tomatoes are placed into their homes (aka the cans), they are stored at nutritional peak, providing them with maximum nutrition. What’s not to love about that? So, incorporate some nutrients into your daily diet than by enjoying a refreshing bowl of salsa.

 

Restaurant Style Salsa

Restaurant Style Salsa

The best part of going to a Mexican restaurant is the homemade chips and salsa. With this recipe, you can bring the Restaurant Style Salsa to your own home. The great thing about making your own salsa is that you can make it as mild or spicy as you would like.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 (28 oz.) can whole peeled tomatoes with juice
  • 1 cup fresh cilantro
  • ½ small red onion, roughly chopped
  • 2 jalapenos, roughly chopped and seeds and membranes removed
  • 2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
  • 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
  • ½ tsp. kosher salt

Instructions

  1. Add all of the ingredients into a blender.
  2. Blend the ingredients until the salsa reaches your desired texture, smooth or chunky.
  3. Taste for seasoning. Add more salt or lime juice if necessary.
  4. Pour the salsa into a bowl and refrigerate it for at least 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
For other delicious dip recipes, check out:

The BEST BLT Dip
Tomato Pesto Hummus
California Walnut Salsa

California Walnut Salsa

California Walnut Salsa

This nutritious California Walnut Salsa recipe is not only packed with flavor, but it can be prepared in under 10 minutes. This specific salsa recipe also contains roasted red peppers, jalapeno peppers, and toasted walnuts—giving it an extra kick of flavor and crunch. All you need to do is stir all the ingredients into a medium-sized bowl, cover, and refrigerate it until it’s ready to serve. It doesn’t get much easier than that! Serve it up with your favorite veggies and a side of whole-wheat tortilla chips for a tasty snack that is sure to be a crowd-pleaser.

What’s the key ingredient to any salsa? That’s right, tomatoes! Every salsa requires tomatoes, and canned diced tomatoes do just the trick to create a simple, flavorful salsa. Not only do canned tomatoes provide a boost of juiciness to a dish, but they also have numerous health benefits. This specific recipe calls for canned fire-roasted diced tomatoes, but you can also use regular canned diced tomatoes for a different flavor profile. The mixture of onions, fresh cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and spices provides the perfect combination of savory and spicy flavor. Don’t be shy and feel free to add more spices and veggies for even more spice!

While fresh, chopped tomatoes can be used for salsa, it’s actually better to use the canned version! Research has shown that canned tomatoes are actually higher in nutritional value than fresh tomatoes due to the canning process (and they’re more affordable). When canned tomatoes are placed into their homes (aka the cans), they are stored at nutritional peak, providing them with maximum nutrition. What’s not to love about that? So, incorporate some nutrients into your daily diet than by enjoying a refreshing bowl of salsa.

Get the full recipe for California Walnut Salsa by visiting our friends at California Walnuts.

For other delicious dip recipes, check out:

The BEST BLT Dip
Tomato Pesto Hummus

A Red, White, & Blue 4th of July

A Red, White, & Blue 4th of July

A Red, White, & Blue 4th of July

Go red this 4th of July with canned tomatoes! Invite over some friends and celebrate good health with a simple, nutritious red, white, and blue appetizer from dietitian Sharon Palmer.

By Sharon Palmer, RD, author of Plant-Powered for Life

This 4th of July, let’s remember where our food roots come from. Most traditional, cultural diets—whether from Peru or Asia—are based on plants. Even in our own country, our diet once gravitated more towards plants. My mother, who grew up in Arkansas, enjoyed a wholesome plant-based diet; a typical meal was black-eyed peas, foraged greens, roasted tomatoes, and cornbread. It’s amazing to think about how far we’ve strayed away from a plant-centric diet in the United States in recent years.

Now when we think about most foods in the “Western diet,” we tend to think of foods characterized by large amounts of animal products, and few whole plant foods. It’s no surprise that this eating style has been linked with our current epidemic of chronic disease and obesity.

But there’s good news.

Many of America’s favorite foods can be made by better-tasting and better-for-you by piling on America’s favorite condiments – tomato products, including salsa, ketchup, and tomato sauce.

So healthy are tomato products that high intakes have been associated with important health benefits, including reduced risk of certain chronic diseases, such as heart disease and some forms of cancer, according to a 2012 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. And the best part is that there’s no need to break the bank to redeem the health benefits associated with tomato products. According to the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, tomato juices and tomato soups, carrots, and broccoli all scored the highest Nutrient Rich Foods (NRF) index per dollar. NRF is based on nine nutrients to encourage: protein; fiber; vitamins A, C, and E; calcium; iron; magnesium; and potassium; and on three nutrients to limit: saturated fat, added sugar, and sodium.

So, this 4th of July, invite over some friends and celebrate good health with this simple, nutritious red, white, and blue appetizer, made better by tomato products!

Red, White & Blue Salsa Cups

Ingredients:

  • 1 12-ounce can of salsa
  • 16 ounces of non-fat plain Greek yogurt (2, 8-ounce containers)or vegan sour cream (recipe here)
  • 1 package of blue corn tortilla chips
  • 16 plastic cups

Instructions:

  1. In each plastic cup, layer ~ ¼ cup of non-fat Greek yogurt, followed by 2 tablespoons salsa.
  2. Garnish with two tortilla chips.
  3. Store in the refrigerator until serving and serve with chips.

Makes around 6-8 individual dips.

 

Sharon Palmer

Sharon Palmer

Writer and Author of The Plant-Powered Diet

Sharon Palmer, The Plant-Powered Dietitian™ is a writer and author of The Plant-Powered Diet. Over 850 of her articles have been published in national publications, including PreventionBetter Homes and Gardens and Today’s Dietitian. She is also the editor of the award-winning publication Environmental Nutrition and writes for her blog, The Plant-Powered Blog. Her specific expertise is in plant-based nutrition, including Mediterranean, vegetarian and vegan diets.Her second book, Plant-Powered For Life: Eat Your Way to Lasting Health with 52 Simple Steps and 125 Delicious Recipesis available for purchase now.


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