Quick and Easy Salsa

This is a recipe I found at Central Market one day... it seriously tastes like restaurant salsa and is so incredibly easy! I've adjusted it a little to better suit my family's tastes and still play around with it each time I make it, but here is the basic recipe:

14 oz can whole peeled tomatoes
3-4 cloves garlic
2-4 tablespoons canned pickled jalapenos
1/2 - 3/4 cup (packed) fresh cilantro
1/4 sweet onion, rough chopped
2-3 green onions, rough chopped
salt & pepper

Put all ingredients in a blender and pulse until blended to desired consistency. Will keep in refrigerator up to 5 days.

Fish Tacos

Lincoln declared these the best tacos ever! High praise coming from a 5 year old!

1 tablespoon olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
5 tablespoons lime juice
1 lb tilapia fillets

2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons plain yogurt
2 tablespoons lime juice
tabasco sauce to taste

cilantro
shredded lettuce or cabbage
shredded cheese
chopped tomatoes

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and saute for about 1 minute. Add the lime juice and heat through. Poach the tilapia fillets in the lime/garlic mixture, turning once, until cooked through. In a serving dish, break the tilapia into bite size pieces and pour remaining liquid over it.

In a small dish, combine the mayonnaise, yogurt, lime juice, and tabasco. Mix well. (I used Kraft Chipotle Mayo instead of the tabasco, but you could get the same result using Chipotle Tabasco.)

To serve, place fish in a tortilla with a little of the mayonnaise sauce. Garnish as desired with cilantro, cheese, tomatoes and cabbage. (Cabbage is more authentic, but my kids won't eat it so we use shredded lettuce.)

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 can crushed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce or tomato juice

2 cups water or chicken broth

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp diced green chilis

1 clove garlic, minced

1 1/2 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp black pepper

2 cups cooked chicken, cut in bite sized pieces

1 zucchini or yellow squash, diced

Combine all ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Serve with the following to be added as desired:

broken tortilla chips

sliced black olives

shredded cheddar cheese

sour cream

diced avocado