Fresh Cranberry Salsa

Tart and sweet, cranberries are a wonderful holiday time berry!  Raw cranberries are high in vitamin C, fiber and antioxidants.  This is a great recipe to show off fresh cranberries for an appetizer or as a potluck dish.   This tart, sweet and spicy salsa is always a hit and good for you too! 

Ingredients:

1 bag fresh cranberries

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

2 limes, juiced

1-2 jalapeno (depending on how spicy you like it)

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/8 tsp ginger

1 bunch green onions 

salt and pepper to taste

Rinse your cranberries and throw out any old shriveled looking ones.  Cut your green onions into 3 inch pieces and chop up your jalapenos.  Put juice of the two limes, cranberries, cilantro, jalapenos, sugar, ginger and green onions into a food processor and pulse until you reach a good salsa like consistency.  

Add a little salt and pepper to taste.  You can serve this with tortilla chips or over a block of cream cheese with crackers.  Let the salsa sit in the fridge over night and it will taste even better the next day.  Happy Holidays!

Quesadilla with Mangos, black beans and swiss chard

While searching for recipes this week I tried to find some that would be easy and fast.  I have Audrey's choir concert tonight, work on Tuesday and Wednesday, Audrey's drama play on Thursday then work again Friday.  SO, I need quick and easy.  This recipe is a dressed up quesadilla.  Who doesn't like a quesadilla right?!  This took a little longer than I anticipated to make because of the prep and cooking of the chard but it was well worth it.  I would make the chard in the morning next time and have it ready for dinner time.

For the quesadilla:
8 tortillas small or medium (small is easier to flip)
3 cups swiss chard chopped
1 garlic clove chopped
2 mangoes cubed
1 jalapeno chopped
3 green onions sliced
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
cheddar cheese or any favorite cheese
1 lime
kosher salt
pepper

For the garnish:
cilantro
tomatillo salsa store bought
avocado

Take chard off of the stems, rinse, dry, chop and set aside.  Drain and rinse the beans and set aside.  Cube the mangoes, chop the jalapeno, green onions, and garlic.  Set aside.  Saute the chard in a little oil, add the chopped garlic, salt and pepper and a few squeezes of lime juice. Cook 3-4 minutes until wilted.  Set aside. 
Toss the mango cubes with a little lime juice and a sprinkle of salt.  Assemble the quesadilla with cheese, chard, beans, jalapeno, green onions and mango.  Grill on both sides until cheese is melted and it looks brown and delicious.  Top with Avocado, cilantro and serve with the tomatillo salsa.  Ole!

Recipe adapted from loveandlemons.com