Fresh Salsa

*Tasty and good for you!

2-3 medium tomatoes, chopped

1 T fresh lime juice

½ small red onion, diced (I've also made with yellow onions and my husband prefers them)
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 oz can green chilies
2 T chopped fresh cilantro
½ t salt
¼ t dried crushed red pepper

1. Combine all ingredients in a large bowel. Cover and chill at least 1 hour.

Makes 2 cups.

*Love the lime and cilantro!  So good, it was hard to wait the hour for it to chill.  Tonight we are having leftover Cafe Rio chicken.  I thought I'd make some special sides so the leftovers would be exciting.  I hope I get lots of tomatoes in my garden this year--this will be a great way to eat them.  Speaking of tomatoes, they are one veggie that should never be stored in the fridge (at least before they are cut) or their flavor will deteriorate.  Here's why.  Store tomatoes at room tempature but not next to bananas.  For that matter, don't store your onions next to potatoes. 
Also, when chopping the cilantro, the leaves AND the stems can be use.  The stems are tenderly flavorful so don't throw them out. 
Finally, I'd like to introduce my new kitchen gadget, the lemon squeezer.  These citrus squeezers actually come in three colors: orange, yellow, and green; or in other words, three sizes: oranges, lemons, and limes.  I saw online that all 3 could be purchased for $26, so I went to Wal-Mart and bought the middle size for less than $5.  It worked great to squeeze the lime, though after the first press, I slit the sides so the lime would lie flatter and squeeze more juice.  If you use a lot of citrus juice, I recommend the investment.