Strawberry-Chili Salsa

Is it just me, or does this winter seem to be draaaaaaaaaaaging on? Over the weekend we celebrated St. Patrick's Day. I can definitely remember some recent years that St. Patrick's Day has been warm enough to be outside in t-shirts with no coats. Not this year, however. I woke up to yet another day with snow falling...and falling...and falling...4 inches of the stuff! OVER IT. In light of this depressing snow-filled day, I decided that a nice light spring tasting meal would be just the thing. This strawberry-chili salsa is excellent on it's own for a snack with tortilla chips, or to make a meal out of it, spoon it over some delicious roasted chicken or fresh fish for a wonderful light dinner option.

*NOTE ABOUT ROASTING CHICKEN: If you are lucky enough to live where you can grill all-year-round, skip ahead. For those of you who find yourselves enjoying a winter wonderland outside stuck in the snow like me, a tip on roasting chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare a baking sheet by lining it with aluminum foil. Place chicken breasts on foil, drizzle both sides with a little olive oil - rub around to coat - and sprinkle with salt and fresh cracked black pepper. Roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the juices are no longer pink. Exact roasting time will depend on size of the chicken breasts. Check after 20 minutes and go from there. No dried out over-cooked chicken here. I wouldn't be exaggerating by telling you I prefer roasted over grilled chicken. Grilled chicken almost always gets too dried out from over-cooking it seems. Roasted chicken, however, is extra juicy and delicious.

Step One: Gather the ingredients.

Step Two: Dice, mince and chop the strawberry, red onion and serrano/jalapeno chili. Combine in a medium bowl and drizzle with lime juice and a sprinkling of kosher salt. Now WAIT! 15 more minutes to let the flavors meld together before this spring salsa is ready to eat. If you are roasting chicken or cooking fish, now is the time.

Recipe from True Food Cookbook

STRAWBERRY-CHILI SALSA | Yield: 2 Cups | Total Time: 15 min. + 15 min. resting time

INGREDIENTS:

1 pint strawberries, diced
1/4 C red onion, minced
1 serrano chili, finely chopped, with seeds*
1/2 lime, juiced
kosher salt

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Chicken, fish, tortilla chips

*NOTE: Substitute a jalapeno if you can't find a smaller serrano chili. Keep in mind that a jalapeno with seeds will be bigger and spicier than a serrano, so depending how much heat you like, you may want to remove some seeds, or only use 1/2-3/4 of the chopped jalapeno. You could also add some cilantro if you have any laying around.

DIRECTIONS:

Dice, mince and chop strawberries, red onion and serrano chili. Combine in a medium bowl and drizzle with juice from 1/2 a lime. Sprinkle with kosher salt, stir, and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes prior to serving.

Do you have a favorite fruit-inspired meal?