Pico de Gallo

I have a problem, I need to admit something and a public admission is the best way to do this so here goes. My name is Coach Matos and I am addicted to pico de gallo. I love this stuff and could eat it every day. Honestly, I love Mexican food in general, but I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE pico de gallo. I eat it with chips, I have been known to put it on top of grilled chicken breasts but my most favorite way to eat it is... with a spoon! That's right, straight from the bowl as if it's some sort of cold soup.
Over the past couple of years I have developed my own "recipe" taking an ingredient or two from one recipe and and one or two from another recipe etc.

Pico De Gallo
The Line Up

2 Large Tomatoes - I believe the ones I use are called "Green House" tomatos - they really are pretty big - almost softball size
1/2 - 1 red onion (judge based on how how it looks)
2 jalepenos (leave the ribs/seeds in one, remove from the other.. or adjust according to taste)
Cilantro (adjust according to taste)
3-4 decent sized cloves of garlic
Corn (to taste)
Black beans (I use canned black beans - rinsed well)
1/4 - 1/2 packet of taco seasoning powder
1 TBSP lemon juice
1 TBSP lime juice
1 TBSP red wine vinegar

The Game Plan
Chop up the tomatoes, onion, jalepenos and cilantro, place in large non-metal bowl. Add corn, black beans, taco seasoning, lemon juice, lime juice and vinegar. Mix well. Refrigerate several hours before eating.

Coach's Post Game Conference
I generally make a batch of pico in the evening and let it sit in the refrigerate until at least noon the next day before I dig in. The jalapenos can be altered to suit your taste buds or the taste buds of those you will be serving. Recently I took this to a party, since I didn't know how sensitive taste buds would be, I removed  all the jalapeno veins & seeds (for those who don't know the veins inside the jalepeno & the seeds are what house the "heat"). I chopped up the jalepeno and added it to the pico as usual. Then I took a little cup with me where I carried the veins and seeds separately, this allowed the pico to stay mild, but let those who like a lot of "heat" to add some of the veins & seeds to their own bowl.

TV Commercial Break
I have two products that I use when making pico that are unbelievable time savers, I generally make this recipe in under 10 minutes.

With the Vidalia Onion Wizard I simply cut the tomatoes & onions in quarters and chop, chop, chop, chop... and they are done! No muss, no fuss.

 NexTrend's Garlic Twist makes mincing garlic as easy as a few twists of the wrist. So much easier than chopping with a knife

Final Score
Coach - Outta the park, grand slam, walk off, game 7 of the World Series winning Home Run
Catcher - yea, he likes it too!
The All-Star - Well... as much as he likes the salsa from our favorite Mexican restaurant in town, he will not touch pico because he "doesn't like tomatoes, or onions"

***edit - please see label disclaimer in "True Confessions" - 11/7/2013

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