Name: Pico de Gallo
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 10 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 4 Plum tomatoes. (diced); ½ White onion, (chopped finely); 1 Jalapeño, (do not remove seeds, minced); 1 Juice of lime

Salsa month continues here at Dora’s Table. This is pico de gallo, a raw salsa that consists of jalapeño, tomato, onion, cilantro, and lime juice. That’s it! This is one of the first things I learned how to make. It really isn’t complicated at all, just chop the tomatoes, onion, jalapeño, and cilantro, add some lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. Done! It is great on its own with chips or you can make it a meal by adding chickpeas and avocado.

Sometimes I wish I could convince everyone I meet to at least try going vegan (plant-based) at least for 30 days. I was the last person you could think of that would become vegan. I was a meat lover through and through, and don’t even get me started on cheese. In fact, I made fun of vegans and vegetarians. We once invited our one vegetarian friend to eat at Animal in L.A. Yikes!

Being vegan in the food and beverage industry is not perceived as cool, I would say most professionals would think it’s pretty lame. You know, because vegans don’t indulge in the foie gras, and chocolate dipped bacon wrapped everything that has been going on lately. I admit I thought about it that way too.

I was embarrassed to be a vegan at first. I tried to hide it or avoid mentioning it all together, but as I learned how to adapt in social situations and plan my meals better I began to care less and less what others thought of me. As you can see from my now very public vegan blog.

Honestly, I just feel better when I drop meat and dairy from my meals. I have more energy, I’m back to my pre-baby weight, and I can eat guilt-free. I was a bit chunky as a kid and eating was always associated with guilt. Even after a lost all my weight I couldn’t shake the guilt, not until going vegan. For me it is about being compassionate towards animals, and taking care of my body and myself. Am I 100% vegan? no. I don’t think anybody is.

The funny thing is I don’t feel deprived at all because I can’t eat this or that. Just like James Beard says, “You can omit and still enjoy eating.” I enjoy all of my meals whether or not they are organic, non-gmo, raw, vegan, paleo, etc. Life is too short to eat bad food.

Stop by my pinterest page for some vegan recipes from around the web.

Also take one look at Kathy Patalsky‘s Finding Vegan so you can see that you can eat healthy, delicious, and even indulgent meals without a trace of animal products.

Finally, subscribe to our email list (top right corner below the slide show) to receive updates, cooking tips and behind the scene photos. Enjoy!