Zesty Chicken Salsa Soup Recipe

Zesty Chicken Salsa Soup
All of us have those recipes, the old standbys right? These are the ones that you know will be fabulous with little effort.
This recipe showcases garden fresh tomatoes, garlic, cilantro & onions. If you happen to have limes or avocados in your garden, then they work perfect also!
Ingredients
2-3 Boneless Chicken Breasts thawed
1 onion diced
3-4 cups chicken broth
10 tomatoes [including juice] diced
4 garlic cloves- peeled and finely diced or pressed
4 oz can of green chili (or fresh if you have them!)
2 tsp salt
lime juice 
cilantro (garnish)
Avacados (sliced & served on top)
                                                                   Sour Cream (garnish)
                                                                   Tortilla Chips (garnish)
Put the chicken, onion, broth, tomatoes, garlic, green chile & salt into a crock pot. Turn on high and cook for 4-5 hours until chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken breast and shred with a fork. Add chicken back to the soup and season to taste. If you want your soup to be "brothier" feel free to add more chicken broth. Serve hot with fresh lime juice squeezed on top, cilantro, sour cream, avocado chucks and tortilla chips if you desire. Enjoy!

Garden Fresh Strawberry Smoothie

First thing in the morning I love to make creamy strawberry smoothies. The tangy rich taste just seems to start my morning off right.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup fresh strawberries [pitted]
1 frozen banana
1 cup almond milk [or regular milk if you prefer!]
1/4 cup Greek yogurt
2 ice cubes

Directions:
Puree in the blender and serve immediately. Cutting a fresh strawberry as a garnish adds a beautiful touch as well.

Homemade Potato Wedges

When you are grilling hamburgers this summer the perfect addition to your meal is hearty potato wedges straight from your garden. 

 

4 russet potatoes [for 3-4 people]

2 tablespoons olive oil 

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons Italian seasoning

2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 teaspoon pepper

   

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

2. Wash and scrub your potatoes. Slice them into 1/4" wedges.

3.  In a large resealable bag add your oil, half of your spices and sliced potatoes. Seal the bag and gently shake to coat all of the wedges.

4. Prepare a nonstick baking sheet by lightly spraying it with nonstick spray. Place the seasoned potato wedges on the sheet and sprinkle with the remaining seasoning.

5. Bake potato strips at 425 degrees F for 25 minutes or until crispy. Serve immediately.

Garden Fresh Salsa

Nothing adds a little zest and healthy freshness to a meal like Salsa can! Whether it's used as a "dressing" on a southwest salad, a topping to your morning scramble, or simply eaten with chips, salsa can be a jack of all trades. Here's my favorite recipe for garden fresh salsa.

10 tomatoes, chopped

1 cup diced onion

2 poblano peppers

1 jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup white vinegar

2 teaspoons lime juice 

Directions 

1. Cut open the jalapeno and poblano peppers down the middle to scrape the seeds out. Cut off the top of the peppers. Roast these over medium heat [in a frying pan or over the BBQ] until they blister. Remove from heat and let cool. Finely chop these up to be added to the other mixture. 

2. In a medium bowl, stir together tomatoes, onion, chili peppers, cilantro, salt, chopped peppers and lime juice. Chill for one hour in the refrigerator before serving. 

*If you prefer your salsa to be more mild, you may use 3 poblano peppers instead of using 2 poblano peppers and 1 jalapeno pepper.