Cookbook:Salza Criolla (South American Onion Relish)

Sarza criolla is a refreshing topping for carbohydrate and meat-style foods. It is the South American equivalent of salsa, and it goes well on toast, slabs of boiled potatoes, seafood, meat, rice, tamales, and quesadillas.

Ingredients

 * 1 onion
 * 1 lime
 * Chopped cilantro (optional)
 * Chopped boiled potatoes (optional)
 * Chopped boiled or pickled beets (optional)
 * Chopped (not mashed) avocado (optional)

Procedure

 * 1) Cleave the onion from top to bottom, along the grain, then slice it fine across the grain, forming half-rings.
 * 2) Rinse in cold water, soak in cold water for around 5 minutes, and rinse again. This procedure washes away the contents of the plant cells destroyed by the knife, taking the sting out of the onion's flavor.
 * 3) Squeeze over it the juice of the lime.
 * 4) Optionally toss in the cilantro, potatoes, beets, or avocado.