Simply Sweet Ingredient Challenge: Strawberries

Such a wonderful time of year with all of the baby birds and bunnies, bright and beautiful flowers, and, last, but not least, the absolutely amazing produce that's sprouting up all around! With all the tasty food showing up at Farmer's Markets near you, I was easily inspired to go for the ever-loved strawberry... and what a great idea it turned out to be!

J loves himself some Ahi, so I decided to make a tangy strawberry salsa to put atop his seared fishy! The trick to this tasty salsa treat is a food processor... If you don't have one you truly are missing out on one of the seven wonders of the kitchen. I have used it almost daily since I bought it and I truly believe that everything can be processed in one way or another! You'll never have to chop, slice, mince, or puree by hand again!

Sweet and Tangy Strawberry Salsa

Ingredients: 

• 2 little green baskets of strawberries
• 2 jalapenos
• 2 cloves minced garlic
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• juice of 1 lime
• sprinkle (or two) of garlic salt

Directions: 

1. Add the jalapenos, garlic, and cilantro into the processor and pulse until chopped to your liking. 
2. Slice the tops off the strawberries then drop the rest into the processor. 
3. Pulse to your liking. 
4. Add the lime juice and the garlic salt then pulse. 
5. Taste test... Add more salt or lime or strawberry as you wish. 
6. Enjoy on chips, fish, quesadillas... On whatever you'd like! 

And for the other participants' entries: 

Zoe's Strawberry Shortcake Sandwiches

There's another coming, I'm just waiting for the post so check for it later! 

And for the next challenge due in two weeks... 

Oatmeal

It's probably the most boring ingredient ever... But the list of health benefits are longer than you'd ever expect! Full of fiber, cholesterol reducing agents, and so much more! 

Cookies, breakfast, cakes, waffles... However you can incorporate it, I want to see it!

Simply Sweet Ingredient Challenge: Hummus

This week's Simply Sweet Ingredient Challenge was to make hummus! Such an easy, but so fun and creative way to make a tasty treat that you can use as a dip, a condiment, a garnish, or fun tasting dish! 

I couldn't help myself and made a little trio of Triscuit toppers that J and I gobbled up several nights in a row as an after dinner snack! 

(sorry for the poor pictures... I left my camera at home so iPhone photography it is!)

The first of the trio: 

Spicy Black Bean Hummus

Ingredients: 

• 1 15 ounce can of black beans
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 heaping scoops of jarred jalapeno slices
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil 
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Red pepper flakes to garnish

Directions: 

1. Drain the black beans of their liquid and pour it down the drain. 
2. Add all other ingredients into a food processor and pulse away. 
3. Add salt and pepper (or even jalapeno or red pepper flakes) as you like. 
4. Enjoy! 

*Simply Sweet to Note: Chill it in the fridge and it firms up a little nicer than the warm soupiness you may originally end up with.

The second of the trio: 

Spicy Cilantro Lime Hummus

Ingredients: 

• 1/3 cup cilantro 
• 1 lime, both its juice and zest
• 1 15 ounce can of cannelloni beans 
• 2 heaping scoops of jarred jalapenos, sliced 
• Drizzle of olive oil 
• 2 cloves garlic 
• Red pepper flakes (to garnish and taste)

Directions: 

1. Drain the cannelloni beans of their liquid and pour it down the drain, then drop the beans in the food processor. 
2. Zest the limes then cut in half and juice in the food processor.
3. Add all other ingredients and pulse away. 
4. Add jalapeno or red pepper flakes as you like. 
5. Enjoy! 

 And finally, the delicious recipe I debuted here!

(It's my first made all by myself recipe so I'm sort of proud!)

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese

• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic 
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (plus some to drizzle on top!) 
• 1/2 of a really juicy lemon
• Dash of pepper
• 1 bunch of basil 
• A handful of sun dried tomatoes (mine weren't in oil, but if so just drain)

Directions: 

1. Place the feta cheese, goat cheese, and garlic in a bowl. 
2. Sprinkle with pepper and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. 
3. Mix together with a spoon (sort of smashing the cheese together into a paste). 
4. On a cutting board mince the basil into finely chopped bits. 
5. Layer basil on top of the cheese in the bottom of the bowl. 
6. Chop the sun dried tomatoes on a cutting board into smaller pieces. 
7. Sprinkle these on top of the basil and cheese. 
8. Drizzle with olive oil and dash with pepper. 
9. Use pita chips or triscuits to scoop up the tasty topping. 
10. Enjoy!

Now for the other recipe from my Mama Bird... Check her sun-dried tomato hummus recipe here. This is absolutely irresistible and loved by all (especially J!). 

And the next challenge's ingredient... 

(drum roll please) 

Strawberries

Their season is thriving and they are so wonderfully tasty... So cook away with these tasty fruits!

Old Town Temecula Farmer's Market and My First Original Recipe

One of my family's favorite things to do on the weekends is go to the Farmer's Market in Old Town Temecula. I just love the Farmer's Market, but with all the business of life going on it's been hard to find myself there. Although it was rainy here this morning, Mama Bird, Baby Bear, J and I decided to get out and enjoy the organic wonderfulness of the Old Town Temecula Farmer's Market. 

Nothing like an awkward (SUPER AWKWARD) picture on your way into the Farmer's Market! 

Please appreciate my sweet little ladybug umbrella! And our ever important recyclable bags!

Future Mayor of Temecula paying respects to her constituents! (Just kidding, but doesn't it look like it?) 

Aren't these berries so beautiful in their arrangement? Oh, and they are just amazing to eat!
Completely organic and sold within 24 hours of their picking. 

Yep! We bought these and they are so perfectly, sweetly wonderful!

Baby Bear showing his excitement about all of the organic veggies! 

Leaving the market for home with our bags of spoils! 

Baby Beat loving his Asian Pears he bought! J and he ate three whole ones today! 

One of the stands at the market had a big box of sun dried tomatoes. Oh boy they were so vibrantly red and so savory looking. As soon as we got home I got to work on making a delicious little dip for the sun dried tomatoes to be used in!

Feta, Basil, and Sun-dried Tomato Trio Dip

We got absolutely amazing sun dried tomatoes from a local community farm, Terra Bella. You can check them out on their Facebook page here! They sell amazing organic fresh nuts, dried fruits and veggies, as well as greens. 

Ingredients: 

• 1/2 cup of crumbled feta cheese
• 1/4 cup of crumbled goat cheese 
• 2 Tablespoons minced garlic 
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil (plus some to drizzle on top!) 
• 1/2 of a really juicy lemon
• Dash of pepper
• 1 bunch of basil 
• A handful of sun dried tomatoes (mine weren't in oil, but if so just drain)

Directions: 

1. Place the feta cheese, goat cheese, and garlic in a bowl. 
2. Sprinkle with pepper and add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil. 
3. Mix together with a spoon (sort of smashing the cheese together into a paste). 
4. On a cutting board mince the basil into finely chopped bits. 
5. Layer basil on top of the cheese in the bottom of the bowl. 
6. Chop the sun dried tomatoes on a cutting board into smaller pieces. 
7. Sprinkle these on top of the basil and cheese. 
8. Drizzle with olive oil and dash with pepper. 
9. Use pita chips or triscuits to scoop up the tasty topping. 
10. Enjoy!