Sweet, Spicy and Salty: Strawberry Jalepeño Salsa with Kettlecorn Popchips

Recently, Popchips contacted me and asked if I would be interested in sampling their products.  Since I am a big fan already, I was only too happy to oblige and come up with some ways to serve Popchips in your home.

I like Popchips because they are like potato popcorn.  They are light and low in fat and sugar.  All their varieties are certified gluten-free.  It’s an easy snack that I don’t feel guilty about grabbing when on the run.

My favorite flavor is Katy’s kettle corn.  They are lightly salty and sweet.  These are made with corn instead of potato.

I wanted to pair the salty / sweet combination with something spicy, healthy and a little quirky (like Popchips) so instead of a tomatoes, I made a salsa using a strawberry and jalapeño base.

At certain times of the year, strawberries are expensive.  You can keep costs down by using frozen strawberries.  Just let them defrost first.  I would reserve the juice that comes out as they defrost.

To make the salsa mild, use the seeds of about 1/2 a jalapeño and discard the rest.  For a medium salsa, use the seeds of 1 jalapeño.  I would recommend starting with the seeds of a jalapeño and reserving the rest of the seeds so you can add more to adjust the heat to your taste.

Zest of 3 limes

Juice of 3 limes

3 T strawberry jam

1/2 cup cilantro, roughly chopped

1 t salt

2 cloves of garlic, peeled and roughly chopped

2 jalapeños, roughly chopped, including seeds (to personal taste)

1 small onion, roughly chopped

3 green onions, roughly chopped, plus more for garnishing

1 pound strawberries, if fresh, hull and quarter the strawberries

1. In the bowl of a large food processor, combine all the ingredients.

2. Pulse the food processor in short bursts to achieve the desired consistency.  Taste for heat before removing from the bowl.  If you need to add more heat, add a few more seeds, pulse again and re-taste.  Repeat until you get the desired heat.