Pico de Gallo

This is another side that brightens up a lot of our meals. It goes so fast I don't think any of us realize all the veggies we are eating. We would always eat a lot of pico de gallo during the summer when we had more tomatoes then we knew what to do with, but it would never last long.

This recipe and the guacamole recipe come from Chevy's cookbook (as in Chevy's the restaurant). As a family we have gone there a few times, but it is my parents favorite, and they would always go there together on their dates to the temple in Portland Oregon

2 cups tomatoes, diced

1/2 cup white onions diced

2 tbsp chopped cilantro

1 1/2 tbsp jalapeno, stemmed seeded and minced

2 tsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 tsp salt

combine all the ingredients. Serve chilled with tortilla chips, or on top of your meal.

Guacamole

I think, if our family could, we would eat guacamole everyday. I remember hating it as a child, but no one ever tried to convince me to eat it. So, when I finally tasted it I realized that people didn't care if I didn't eat it because it just meant more for them.

We always have it with our big mexican meals, or even the small ones. Our fast quesadilla dinners were greatly enhanced by a bowl of guac.

3 medium Avocados

1 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

1/2 cup pico de gallo

1 1/2 tsp chopped garlic

1 tsp olive oil

1 tsp jalapeno stemmed, seeded and minced

1 tsp salt

Pit the avocados. Score avocado meat without cutting through the skin (in a diagonal/diamond pattern). Scoop out with a large spoon and put in a mixing bowl.

Add lime jice and coat the pieces. Add the rest of the ingredients and stir/gently mash the mixture. Don't over mash, we like it chunky.

Serve on everything.