How Rick Martinez Turns A Frozen Cup Of Salsa Into An Easy Weeknight Dish

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Chef Rick Martinez was born and raised in Texas but moved to Mexico as an adult wanting to explore his roots. He's since authored the bestselling cookbook "Mi Cocina: Recipes and Rapture from My Kitchen in Mexico" (available from Amazon for $19.25), while his latest literary effort, "Salsa Daddy," consists of recipes for over 70 different varieties of Mexican sauces. He shared one especially useful salsa tip with The Takeout, telling us, "Most of my recipes make about two cups. I figure you're going to eat one cup, and then you should just freeze the other cup." According to Martinez, the reason for freezing half a batch of salsa each time you make it is that salsa can be incredibly useful for meal prep. In fact, it's the base for a super-easy chicken recipe Martinez recommends.

Start the dish by searing the chicken on both sides, then pour two cups of salsa over it. If you don't have two cups of the same kind of salsa, Martinez says it's okay to mix and match. As he explains, "It's all kind of in the same family, they're all going to have elements of the same ingredients. So, whether it's a tomatillo, or a tart plum, or a tomato, they're all going to play nicely in the same pot." Once you've selected your salsa(s), cook the chicken in the sauce for 40 minutes or until it's falling apart. Martinez described the finished dish as a moist and delicious shredded chicken. While the chicken can be eaten as-is, he also recommends making tacos with it or adding it to rice bowls or burritos.

Besides seasoning chicken, there's so much you can do with frozen salsa ... once it's thawed, that is, unless you enjoy salsa-sicles. Rick Martinez says he wasn't aware of all the possibilities until he started writing his salsa cookbook and found himself with a freezer full of the stuff. When he reached the point where he could no longer give it away, he told us, "I decided to start cooking with it, and I was making meatballs, marinades, glazes, sauces, and fried rice." He also says the easiest chicken soup starts with three parts water to one part salsa, plus whatever chicken and vegetables you have on hand. If you top the mixture with tortilla chips, he told us, "Now you have a tortilla soup that took you about 15 minutes to make."

Salsa is one of two ingredients needed for the easiest chili ever: Mix it with canned beans, heat it up, and you're done. (You can add cooked ground meat or vegetables to make it heartier.) Salsa can add extra vegetables to meatloaf, as well as making the dish much more flavorful. The condiment can also be stirred into a bloody Mary to give it a kick, or even mixed with oil and vinegar to make a spicy salad dressing. (Rachel Ray does this with jarred salsa, but the homemade kind will make your dressing even tastier.) Also, let's not forget salsa's starring role in everyone's favorite super-simple appetizer: Pour it into a bowl, open a bag of chips, and dip to your heart's content.