Okay, so you might not know Terry Hall, and you might not know about his famous salsa recipe…yet. I had never met Terry or this recipe until his daughter, Vanessa, brought the deliciousness to a Mexican fiesta last weekend, and I fell in love with it. This amazing (yet really simple) bowl of perfect textures, fun tastes, spices and creaminess is everything I had been looking for in a salsa recipe!

I am a total chips n’ dips person. I love potato chips, pretzels, tortilla chips, crunchy veggies or any food that will allow me to scoop up some goodness out of a bowl and devour in one swift bite. So I was beyond thrilled to discover this fun and healthy salsa. My complaints with other salsa recipes had always been one of the following: too many ingredients to chop, too much green pepper or cilantro, too runny to stick to my chip. But Terry's Salsa is easy to make, has just enough kick to wake up your mouth (but not burn it) and it really stuck to my chip!

And the best part about this salsa is the recipe couldn’t be easier. You only have to dirty one dish to make in the food processor or blender. And if you have a good processor, you don’t really need to even chop the ingredients ahead of time. This salsa recipe is also the perfect accompaniment to a veggie burger, grilled cheese, black bean soup or any chip of your choice.

Terry Hall’s Famous Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 cans stewed tomatoes (be sure to use stewed tomatoes to create the perfect texture)


• 1/2 onion, chopped


• Chopped green chilies


• Chopped black/green olives


• Chopped jalapenos

Directions:
In blender or food processor, combine stewed tomatoes and half onion. Add about half a small can each of chilies, olives, jalapenos. Add more chilies or jalapeno to step up the heat factor.
Refrigerate overnight to blend flavors and thicken.

I just did some quick math to determine the caloric content of this dish. In the entire giant bowl of salsa, there is only 250 calories! And there are at least 8 servings per recipe, (30-40 calories per serving). Filled with vitamin A, vitamin C and a little fiber, you can’t go wrong serving this healthy and delicious dip.

Try it out and tell us what you think about Terry’s recipe!

Food might be one of your family’s bigger expenses each month. Clipping coupons can help, but we've rounded up several other ways you can decrease your food expenses. With a little extra time and some strategizing, you can save a lot of money on food this year!

Try generic brands. If you are skeptical about the quality of generic brands, compare the ingredients. Most of the time, ingredients are identical! And when comparing different brands, be sure to look at the unit price on the tag to avoid doing extra math. If you like to buy organic foods, look for the store’s own line of cheaper organic foods such as 365 at Whole Foods.

Find a good discount store. In the April 2009 Real Simple magazine, Christiane Jory, author of The 99 Cent Only Stores Cookbook, suggests going to the dollar store for groceries! She says a “simple packaging mistake - say, in the color of the label - can mean a $5 can of artichokes sells for 99 cents.” She also says that expensive olive oil, balsamic vinegar and wine are the best bargains.

Incorporate vegetarian meals into your routine once or twice a week to save money on expensive meat. Most meats cost at least $3 per pound, while plant-based proteins like beans and lentils are less than $1 per pound. If you need some really easy and yummy vegetarian recipes, check out www.meatlessmonday.com. Meatless Monday is a national health campaign associated with Johns Hopkins School of Public Health which encourages people to give up meat once a week to cut saturated fat intake and prevent diet-related diseases!

Watch out for impulse buying. If a new food product or food brand catches your attention, ask yourself “Do I want this food because I really want to try it or am I just excited about the new package?” I have been practicing this lately and because I grocery shop for a toddler, I tend to get easily excited about new kids’ stuff. But I often find myself more impressed by the fun packaging than the actual food product. If you tend to be an impulse buyer, make fewer trips to the store altogether to cut back on those purchases.

Volunteer at a local farm this summer with your older kids. Many farms will give you free produce in exchange for your hard work.

Check expiration dates for the freshest and longest lasting foods. And on the flip side, if you find a great deal on pasta, soups or other foods that can stay on your shelves for months, stock up!

Remember that non-food items at the grocery stores are generally more expensive. Buy your batteries and toiletry items somewhere else.

Although it may take a little extra time and effort on your part, you can save a lot of money on food this year. Do you have any tips to share that have worked for your family?

Try this vegan chocolate cake from the Moosewood Restaurant Cooks At Home and you may never go back. Egg-free batter means you can make it on a whim without going to the store, and you can let your kids lick the bowl again. It helps too that this cake is extremely delicious. Z licked the bowl last night when we made this cake for Jenni's mother's birthday (I didn't leave much in the bowl - it was 8:00 p.m., and I'm no fool), and the kid looked like she had died and gone to heaven.

Six-Minute Vegan Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

1 1/2 c. unbleached white flour
1/3 c. unsweetened cocoa powder
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. vegetable oil
1 c. cold water or brewed coffee
2 t. pure vanilla extract
2 T. cider vinegar

Directions: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sift together flour, cocoa, baking soda, salt, and sugar into an ungreased 8" square or 9" round baking pan. In a two-cup liquid measuring cup, measure oil, measure in water or coffee, and add vanilla (minimizes dishes). Pour liquid ingredients into the baking pan and mix with a fork. When the batter is smooth, add cider vinegar and stir quickly. There will be pale swirls in the batter where the baking soda and vinegar are reacting. Stir just until the vinegar is evenly distributed throughout the batter. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow a four-year-old to decorate it with toys, preferably unicorns and swans.

When we first posted this recipe on Z Recommends after Z's third birthday (hint - it's very moist, so doesn't work well in detailed cake molds), reader Carrie wrote about her experience with the recipe on her blog Cheap and Saucy, and shared a great frosting recipe to go with it.