Strawberry Salsa

Have you ever thought of using strawberries in your salsa? I've had fruity salsas before, but not one that was more savory than sweet. Last week, my friends at Red Gold Tomatoes sent me a couple of cans of their Petite Cut Tomatoes and asked me to try out this awesome recipe for salsa.....with strawberries and tomatoes!

I'll be honest, my first thought was "why would I use canned tomatoes in a fresh salsa?", but then I remembered from my tour of the Red Gold plant that their tomatoes are canned within 45 minutes of arrival from the fields....that's more fresh than the tomatoes that you find in the store! Plus, the Petite Diced Tomatoes are already cut to the perfect size...I do like convenience. Let's take a look at this recipe, shall we?

Strawberry Salsa

Printable Recipe

1 pint fresh strawberries, diced

1 (14.5 oz) can Red Gold® Petite Diced Tomatoes, drained

1 small red onion, diced

2 jalapeno peppers, minced

2 tablespoons lime juice

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

In a large bowl, combine strawberries, , RED GOLD® PETITE DICED TOMATOES, onion and peppers. Stir in the lime juice, garlic and oil.

Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.

I didn't have a small onion...I just measured out about a half cup.

Remember, if you don't like it hot --remove the seeds!

Of course, I put my own spin on things and put in a handful of cilantro and I subbed olive oil for the vegetable oil.

My honest take on this? It's easy and delicious! I really thought there would be a "canned tomato" taste involved, but all of the ingredients blended together perfectly. The strawberries give this just a smidge of sweetness and a whole lot of flavor. Next time, I'll be having this over some pork or chicken.

*Disclaimer: I was provided two cans of tomato product in order to review this recipe. All opinions are my own.

Orange-Cardamom Rhubarb Muffins

I love Greek yogurt. I love muffins. I love muffins made with Greek yogurt. There. I said it. 

I spotted a 12 pack of yogurt at Costco and just had to buy it. Take note of the Blood Orange flavor. Blood  Orange? Wouldn't that be good in a muffin?

What else would taste good with Blood Orange yogurt? Rhubarb? Why, yes. I happen to have a few stalks. 

Let's try a muffin with Blood Orange yogurt and rhubarb. It might just work.

Orange-Cardamom Rhubarb Muffins
Printable Recipe

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar, divided
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
1 1/2 cups rhubarb, sliced into 1" pieces (about 3 stalks)
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 (6 oz) container Chobani Blood Orange Yogurt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. and line a 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, 1/2 cup sugar, baking powder, salt, and orange peel. Stir in the rhubarb and set aside.

In another bowl, or large measuring cup, blend the egg, yogurt, melted butter, and vanilla. Add the liquid mixture to the dry mixture and mix until just blended.

Spoon the batter into the muffin cups and sprinkle the remaining sugar evenly over the tops. Bake in preheated oven for 18-20 minutes or until the tops are golden and firm to the touch.

I used a cookie scoop to get the batter into the cups evenly.

Allow the muffins to cool for just a few minutes; serve warm.

Another muffin for my repertoire. Now I have my eye on the Black Cherry Yogurt....

Which flavor yogurt would you like to see in a muffin?

Eggs and Vegetable Hash

Since my husband has become a vegetarian, I have naturally cut back on my own meat consumption. That's not to say that I don't enjoy a nice steak or a burger, but it's easier to cook just one meal at a time. Sometimes it's a challenge, especially since I'm not entirely fond of fake meat products. Yesterday, I took note of the cover of my Vegetarian Times magazine and saw a great pic of a skillet meal of eggs and vegetables. What a tasty idea! So, while I didn't follow their recipe, I did run with the idea and made my own version---Eggs and Vegetable Hash.

Eggs and Vegetable Hash

Printable Recipe

3 medium russet potatoes

2 tablespoon olive oil

1/2 cup diced green pepper

1/2 cup diced sweet onions

2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon seasoning of choice* (try combining basil, savory, rosemary, thyme, etc.)

4 large eggs

Freshly ground pepper, to taste

Peel and dice the potatoes into 1" pieces; rinse in cold water. Place the diced potatoes in a medium saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly softened. Drain and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat. Add the potatoes, green pepper and onions and saute for 5-7 minutes. Add the tomatoes and the seasonings and cook for an additional 5 minutes. 

Reduce heat to low. Make 4 cavities in the mixture with a spoon. Break one egg into each cavity. Cover and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until the egg whites are set. Sprinkle with ground pepper.

*I'm kind of lousy when it comes to measuring spices. Usually, I toss in whatever I have. I'm also prone to picking up jars of spices that sound good. What I actually used in this recipe was a hefty sprinkling of Trader Joe's 21 Seasoning Salute and a few grinds of Trader Joe's South African Smoke (guaranteed to add that "wonderful Umami flavor, which can be elusive"). I am aware that there are those that don't like spice blends, so feel free to use your imagination.

I do love those runny eggs....

Who said vegetarian food was boring?