Roasted Mango Summer Salsa

Hello again my dear friends!  I am squeezing in a quick post today to continue to support my friend @woman-onthe-wing and her #makeithealthy initiative.  Check out her latest post with some great lunchbox ideas here!  There are always lots of great meal ideas, but she is the master of healthy snacks that are always both adult and kid-friendly!  Today I actually have a recipe that should qualify for the snack category since @dksart and I do love a good dip or salsa for an afternoon snack!

This idea actually was inspired by @ninahaskin's roasted salsa that she shared a few months ago (her post here).  Looking back at her post makes me realize I did something quite similar, so I definitely want to give her credit!!  @birdsinparadise also recently posted a really delicious-looking watermelon salsa.  Lots of wonderful inspiration spreading around the Steemit universe as always!  I have to admit I don't often make my own salsa, but I think that definitely needs to change.  There are some good store-bought options out there, however as with most things nothing quite beats homemade for the healthiest and freshest option (especially while tomatoes are abundant at the farmers market)!  And talk about easy.  There's nothing to it!

If you don't love hummus, salsa is a great accompaniment for veggies or homemade crackers to pack in a lunchbox for an afternoon snack or to go with your lunch at work or school.  Making it at home with lots of fresh produce means you can eat a whole big portion of it and not feel bad.  Just make sure not to ruin the nutritional value by eating it with highly processed chips. ;)  I actually really like salsa as a dressing for a salad sometimes, too, so it can be a great option if you get tired of regular dressing for your weekly lunches.  My absolute favorite though is probably to douse a baked potato in a big scoop of black beans and salsa!  I have a sweet potato just waiting to be baked and topped with this salsa at home for dinner tomorrow...

Roasted Mango Summer Salsa

• 3 large tomatoes, cored & chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 red onion, peeled & chopped
• 1 large or 2 small ripe mangoes, peeled & chopped
• 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded & chopped
• 1 tablespoon salsa & pico seasoning (or any taco-type seasoning of your choice)
• 1 lime, zest & juice

Heat up your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.  Prepare all of your vegetables.  A big rough chop is fine since you'll be running them through the food processor after roasting.  Spread the tomatoes through jalapeno out on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle with the seasoning.  Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.  Stir, then place bake in for another 15-20 minutes or until roasted to your desired level.

Remove from the oven and let cool.  Place about half of the cooled vegetable mixture into a food processor with the lime juice and zest and pulse until finely chopped.  Pour into a bowl then finish with the rest of the mixture.  Finally combine all of the salsa to mix the lime throughout and serve!  I totally forgot to do any herbs, but some fresh green stuff would have been nice in here, as well.  This actually turned out pretty mild even with the jalapeno, so if you want to amp up the heat a bit add a second one or leave in the seeds.

Thanks again to @woman-onthe-wing for curating healthy content and creating my lovely banner below!