Charred Salsa + Miami Trip

You know those times when you come back from a vacation?

I can’t help but dream about the days in a very warm, very sunny, very extra relaxing vacation we just had in Florida with my niece and sister-in-law last week. On top of soaking up the sun, we had a blast dipping our toes in the ocean and walking along the beach, bombing into the pool, eating at drool-worthy restaurants and making pom-pom puppies.

I tried not to obsess but I definitely obsessed.

We spent a few days in Fort Lauderdale and a couple of days in Miami. Miami, specifically South Beach, is such a unique city with its art deco architecture and beach culture. It’s a fabulous melting pot of Latin immigrants with an incredible food scene. Miami is where you can experience a fascinating montage of flavors. Best ceviches, best tacos, best mojitos!

I’m still grieving the loss of the vacation, but on the upside, I’m really excited to show you some pics of the trip’s highlights!

Miami is a city of millionaires and A-list celebrities. We took a boat tour to visit a famous Millionaires Row where we had a privilege to peek at world’s luxurious residencies including J-Lo, Ricky Martin, Shakira and Billionaire Phillip Frost’s (the inventor of viagra). $55 million mansion on Star Island in Miami – sometimes called simply “viagra mansion”.

The palm trees at the viagra mansion are called Royal Palms and cost $10,000 a piece to import from South Africa. There are 32 palm trees lining the property along the waterfront.

A few more beautiful mansions and my personal favorite – elegant Shakira’s house.

Thanks for pic-sharing with me today! Except do you have just one more second? Because there’s one more thing I have to tell you about –>

I got so much inspiration when I was in Miami. I knew within the first day that I need to make salsa.

This charred salsa is the main event of this post. The goods on the plate: the sweetest cherry tomatoes from my garden, jalapeños, cilantro, lime, garlic, onion, a few delicious seasonings and olive oil. LOTSA good for your body stuff + mouth rocking flavor. And actually, thank you for asking, I think I WILL go for a bag of yummy tortilla chips to pair with it.

This charred salsa is incredibly tasty and dangerous looking but so easy to make! Simply dump the vegetables on the baking sheet drizzled with olive oil and cook under the broiler until very well charred. If you have grill like me, even better! It’s important to wait until all vegetables are well charred i.e. tomatoes and onions should have burned look with blackened skin.

Fire roasting or charring the garlic in its peels is critical to avoid the burning. Caramelized garlic can be peeled after charring once cool enough to handle. Please don’t skip this step as it will add extra sweet and smoky flavor to the salsa.

After all the vegetables are completely charred simply blend them in the blender with freshly squeezed lime juice, a handful of fresh cilantro leaves and seasonings.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need lunch and this amazing charred salsa. And to pretend I’m back in Miami. And maybe dream about serving it with Carnitas tomorrow.