Dancing or eating, salsa is the breath of summer! Life is livelier, food is tastier and zesty salsa can spice up your meals, improve your health and make it even easier for you to Salsa!

Salsa is not just for dipping. Put it in salads, add it to sandwiches, mix it with rice, beans and veggies or use it to perk up meats. Liven up your food and your body at the same time by using salsa to add more fruits and veggies to your meals. Fruits and vegetables have many antioxidants that keep your body running smoothly. Antioxidants act as the body's cleaning crew.

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: Our bodies are constantly working to generate energy. As the body uses food to generate energy, it produces free radicals. Like emissions from your car engine, free radicals is the resulting waste product. Needless to say, you want to get rid of them. If you don't, your body won't work well and you won't feel your best. You can even increase your risk of serious illness. Antioxidants in fruits and veggies clean out those free radicals and help improve the way you feel while giving your meals extra zest!

Start with a basic recipe: 4 large tomatoes, 1 onion, and ½ cup cilantro. 3 garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon lime juice, ½ jalapeño and a tomatillo. Mix in a blender or chop up finely. Add other veggies like zucchini, fresh corn, or fruits like melon. The more you vary your fruits and vegetables, the more colorful and flavorful your meals will be. And, the more free radicals you clean out.

Grab a variety of fruits and veggies at a Harvest Home market and use different salsa mixtures to add healthy flavor to your meals.

RECIPE

Tomatillo Salsa Verde: Spicy, Mexican recipe from the Aztecs!
INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds tomatillos, husks removed and washed

• 6 jalapeños (fewer for less spicy heat)

• 4 garlic cloves

• 1 medium-large onion

• 2/3 cup fresh cilantro leaves

• 2 teaspoon salt

PREPARATION:

• Chop the onion in half, crush the garlic, and leave the jalapeños and tomatillos whole. Roast on a baking sheet in a 400-degrees F oven for about 15 minutes, turning all over halfway through roasting time.

• Peel the garlic, deseed and rough chop the jalapeño and roughly chop the onion.

• In a food processor, add all roasted ingredients, plus cilantro and salt. Pulse until all ingredients are chopped. Or chop ingredients until they are the right consistency.

Jicama Salsa: Adds zesty crunch in a salad by itself or add 2 tablespoons olive oil and 2 tablespoons vinegar to make a salad dressing.

PREPARATION:

• 1 small jicama, chopped and diced (about a cup)

• 8 radishes diceD

• ¾ cup of peeled and diced cucumber

• 2 tablespoons diced red onion

• ¾ teaspoon ground arbol chili

• 2 teaspoons fresh basil

• 2/3 teaspoon salt

Melon Salsa:

Refreshing with chips, on fish or chicken or tossed into a salad.

PREPARATION:

• 1 ½ cups chopped red onion

• 1 cup each chopped cantaloupe and chopped watermelon

• 1 tomato and 1 jalapeno pepper seeded and chopped

• ¼ cup fresh lime juice

• ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

TIPS
USE AS A DIP: Use raw veggies and fruit like peeled broccoli stems, celery, carrots, cucumber, zucchini slices or apples.
Add extra fruit or veggie to any salsa recipe. The more variety of ingredients, the more help you give your body. Mix things up for flavor and health; add avocado, mangoes or peaches.
Antioxidants have different names carotenoids, lycopene and flavonoids because different antioxidants do different cleaning jobs. Just eat a variety of fruits and veggies to eliminate as many free radicals as possible.

ANTIOXIDANTS: POWER IN FRUITS AND VEGGIES

• Tomatoes have lycopene for bone health and fight heart disease.

• Melons have the extra water you need in the summer, plus antioxidant vitamin C. Great for your skin.

• Cucumbers have antioxidants that help your immune system and are good for skin and eyes

• Blueberries are the super fruit of antioxidants. They cleanout and protect all your systems.

• Avocados aren't just delicious they are powerful. They contain 20 vitamins, minerals, antioxidants that protect your eyes and healthy omega-3 fatty acids for your blood pressure.

• Peppers give you more carotenoids and vitamin C and are great for your skin.

• Carrots have carotenoids that protect your eyes and skin. Great for dipping into salsa.

• Dark green leafy vegetables have vitamin C, a powerful antioxidant that helps the immune system fight off disease. Wrap up some salsa in a big leaf.

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