A Lime Flavored Recipe Trio

This week we each bring you a trio of our favorite healthy recipes. I’m not much of a cook so the recipes I give you are guaranteed easy to follow and as they were thought up by folks other than myself, the results will be tasty and delightful! The first two I cribbed from my sister when I was visiting her in Sicily; I was blown away by how fresh and flavorful the salsa and black bean salad were on hot summer days. The chicken and tortilla soup I made when my brother was visiting from Zimbabwe, and he gave me a hand in the kitchen as he loves to cook. I do have to note that you can replace canned goods for fresh veggies from the market, but if you don’t have access to one, don’t fret! As with all good recipes each of these bring wonderful memories to mind when I make them, and isn’t that the best reason to get busy dicing and slicing in the kitchen?

Zesty Tomato & Lime Salsa

• 2 or 3 garlic cloves
• 1 good sized jalapeno
• 1/4 red onion chopped
• juice of 1 lime
• tin of chopped tomatoes (not stewed)
• tin of Rotel-diced tomatoes & green chiles
• cilantro
• 1/4 tsp sugar & salt
• 1/2 tsp or more of cumin
• fresh ground black pepper

Remember, a good attitude makes a good salsa! Chop up the onion, fine, put in blender with the lime juice on top to soften it. Chop up jalapeno & cilantro, put in blender. Drain one tin of tomatoes, but not the other, and then put both in, but don’t blend yet. Add all spices and stir. To blend, use pulse on short spurts, no continuous blending. Good salsa is chunky. Eat with your favorite tortilla chips.

Black Bean & Lime Summer Salad

• 1 cup black beans
• 1 cup fresh corn
• 1/4 cup green, red & yellow peppers
• 1 jalapeno, no seeds
• juice of 1 lime
• a bit of red onion
• a good tomato
• 1/4 cup cucumber
• cilantro
• garlic
• red wine vinegar & olive oil

After chopping up all choppable ingredients, gently mix together and serve at your next summer get together.

Chicken & Lime Tortilla Soup

• 9 cups chicken broth
• 6 cloves roasted garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
• 1/2 yellow onion chopped & 1/2 sliced
• 2 jalapenos sliced into rings
• 1 tsp dried oregano
• 2 cups cooked & shredded chicken
• juice of 1 lime
• 6 small corn tortillas cut into strips & toasted for garnish

Bring chicken broth to boil. Add garlic, tomatoes, chopped onion, jalapeno and oregano. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes. Broil sliced onions until soft then add them plus the chicken and lime juice to the broth. Simmer until chicken is heated. To serve, place toasted tortilla strips in each bowl and pour soup over them.

Cheers to these becoming some of your family’s favorite healthy recipes!