Recipe of the Week: Italian Chicken with Strawberry Balsamic Salsa

Ok, friends, we've heard you loud and clear. Strawberries are your favorite produce of the season. We are starting our strawberry recipe collection right here at Health-full because we happen to LIVE FOR fresh California strawberries as well. The following grilled chicken recipe is a great one for early strawberries that haven't quite reached the prime sweetness. You can also substitute grilled fish for the chicken if you like. Try mahi mahi or even salmon and get in that extra dose of omega-3s.

Serves: 4

Marinade Ingredients:
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1 teaspoon chives
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
3-4 boneless chicken breasts

1. Assemble marinade. Coat chicken breasts.
2. Refrigerate approximately 30 minutes.
3. Set aside and make salsa.

Salsa:
3 tablespoons red onion, minced
2 cups strawberries, sliced
2 tablespoons wine (I used chardonnay.)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon chives, chopped
1 teaspoon mint, chopped

1. Chop ingredients and combine.
2. Refrigerate salsa until needed.
3. Grill chicken breasts. Grill approximately 5 minutes at a time on each side for about 15 minutes.
4. Top with cold salsa and serve.

Side Dish Suggestions: Grilled asparagus, cooked quinoa

Recipe of the Week: Strawberry Mint Lemonade

I love fresh-squeezed lemonade. Once you've had the real stuff you can't go back to the mix. Of course, there's an advantage to living in the Central Valley where citrus is plentiful and usually inexpensive. My favorite lemons for fresh lemonade are meyer lemons, which tend to be smaller with an orange tinge and a sweeter taste. However, the classic lemons (which I usually get in abundance from neighbors and friends) will work just fine. My parents bought me a fancy juicer to save my wrists, but you can always put your kids to work with the plastic hand juicer.

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup frozen or fresh strawberries (could substitute raspberries or blueberries)
1 cup raw honey
6 cups water

1. Throw it all in the blender (except the water). Give it a whirl.
2. Pour into serving pitcher. Add water and ice. Taste and add more water if you like.
3. Serve with sprigs of fresh mint. (Make it fancy and freeze mint leaves into ice trays for mint cubes.)