Fresh Salsa

With an abundance of tomatoes coming from neighbor's gardens, it's high time we make some fresh salsa. I don't think I want to admit how often we make this in our house, but it's something that tastes especially good with locally grown produce. When I made this, I was swatting out hands just so I could take a quick picture.

Fresh Salsa
2 SERVINGS
PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 0 minutes            READY IN: 15 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 2 large tomatoes (if you are using roma or smaller tomatoes, add a couple more)
• 1 stalk of green onion
• 1/2 jalapeno pepper (deseeded)
• dash of sea salt

DIRECTIONS

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1. Dice the tomatoes.
2. Cut off the root from the green onion stalk and chop.
3. Cut the jalapeno into small strips and mince.
4. Place all the ingredients into a serving dish and give it a dash of sea salt, or a little bit more if you'd like. 

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    34 calories   0.3g fat   7.3g carbs    1.7g protein    4.9g sugar   

If you'd like a little variety, feel free to add avocado or substitute red onion for the green onions. You can also be flexible on the peppers depending what level of spiciness you like in your salsa. Enjoy!

Indulgence Moment: Cookie Salad

Cookie Salad ... kind of an oxymoron right? Growing up in a home where a salad was the green, healthy, rabbit food kind of salad, I never knew about these other kinds of salads. But after marrying the mister and eating at his parents, I discovered a whole new meaning to the word "salad." No longer was it the salad from my childhood - now it could include pudding, cool whip, any variety of fruits, sugar... the possibilities are endless! And that's just what cookie salad is - a perfect combination of all those delicious sugary ingredients listed above. Okay, so it may not qualify under the "healthy" tab, but if you're looking for a quick, easy, sweet indulgence - this is for you.

Cookie Salad
12-14 SERVINGS 
PREP: 5 minutes           REFRIGERATE : 30 minutes            READY IN: 35 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 1 large instant vanilla pudding
• 2 cups buttermilk (or substitute 1% milk)
• 1 can pineapple tidbits, drained
• 1 can mandarin oranges, drained
• 1 package Keebler fudge stripe cookies, crunched
• 1 16-oz carton cool whip

DIRECTIONS

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1. Mix pudding with milk until smooth. 
2. Add pineapple, mandarin oranges. Stir.
3. Crunch cookies and mix into pudding mixture.
4. Add cool whip. Stir until evenly distributed.
5. Refrigerate until desired thickness.

NUTRITION FACTS

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    1 cup serving    196 calories   10.7 g fat   23.8 g carbs    2.1 g protein    22.4 g sugar   

Enjoy!
Linked up here.

Easy Baked Balsamic Chicken

A friend introduced me to this recipe years ago, and it has been one of my go-to recipes ever since. It's deceptively easy and quick to prepare, and never fails to impress! My favorite is to serve it over couscous, as the tiny pasta soaks up the juices from the baked chicken perfectly. In the absence of couscous, though, it goes well served over whatever I have on hand (rice, quinoa, pasta, etc.).

Easy Baked Balsamic Chicken

4 SERVINGS 

PREP: 15 minutes           COOK: 45-60 minutes            READY IN: 60-75 minutes

SIMPLE	HEALTHY	YUM

INGREDIENTS

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• 4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
• 1 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 (14.5 oz.) can diced tomatoes
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1-2 tablespoons dried basil or Italian seasoning
• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS

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1. Place thawed chicken breast pieces (or frozen if you're in a pinch for time) in the bottom of a glass baking pan. 
2. Cover with onions and tomatoes. 
3. Pour olive oil and balsamic vinegar evenly over top. Sprinkle with seasonings (more if you like a lot of flavor, less if you don't). 
4. Cover pan with aluminum foil and bake at 425 degrees for 40-50 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. 
5. Serve over couscous, orzo pasta, rice, or quinoa, sprinkled generously with parmesan cheese.

NUTRITION FACTS

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(Recipe makes 4 servings)

1 serving    328 calories   14 g fat (3.5 g saturated)    7.5 g carbs    41.4 g protein    3.8 g sugar   

Enjoy!