It's June and the rains have started to come. I've decided to finish my Nacho post to open the month right.

Nachos originated from Mexico, one of the country's Spanish era trading partners. We have imported a lot from them; avocado, sayote, tamales, even the word "palengke". 

However, it wasn't the Mexicans but the Americans who introduced Nachos to the Pinoy food scene.

I had my first taste of real nachos at Miggy's in BF Resort Las Pinas. They used chips made from corn meal. The salsa was fresh but a bit dry, and their cheese sauce was served warm and gooey. 

My version came about from several attempts and various feedback from friends and co-workers. It's the first recipe that I have standardized the measurements for.

Salsa Ingredients :

1 cup finely chopped semi-ripe tomatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped white onions
1 tbsp lemon or calmansi juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 tsp tabasco / chili sauce (optional) or 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper powder
1 tsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)

Procedure:

1. Wash and slice each tomato into 4 pieces, scoop out the seeds then place in a strainer to drain excess liquids. Chop tomatoes to desired size.
2. Peel onion and chop finely.
3. Mix all ingredients together, adjust salt and spices to taste.
4. Refrigerate before serving. Keep extra salsa in the refrigerator when not in use. It is ideal to consume salsa while tomato is still firm to bite.

Cheese Sauce Ingredients:

- 1/2 cup** grated cheese, cheddar is preferred, but filled / quickmelt cheese is ok
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 2 packs 250 gram pack of All Purpose Nestle Cream or about 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 tsp finely chopped green bell pepper (optional)

Procedure

1. In a sauce pan over low fire, mix all ingredients together.
2. Keep stirring mixture until grated cheese melt and it becomes smooth.
3. You may add water or milk to adjust consistency.


You can serve the salsa and cheese dip on the side of Nacho chips or as a topping over the chips. I recommend trying out different nacho chip brands. I personally prefer chips made from corn meal. You can also use the dips with regular flavored corn chips, but the flavors may not blend well.

Until next time!

**PS Add more cheese to suit your taste. If you're using local cheese, 1 small box : 2 packs of Cream is recommended.