2 dinners, 1 post!

It has been a long week for both Mr. PT and I.  For me, nothing melts the stress away more than coming home and cooking up a nice meal (that and watching completely mindless television...I figure cooking is more productive!).  And I know Mr. PT loves coming home to a warm meal.  We enjoyed 2 nice dinners this week, and they are definitely worth trying!

Hot Chicken on Salad with Sweet Potato Fries

 You will need:

-1 large chicken breast

-1 egg

-1 cup flour

-mix of favorite spices (I used pepper, oregano, basil, parsley, and garlic powder)

-fresh lettuce and your choice of salad toppings (I add carrots, and sauteed mushrooms and onions)

-2 medium-large sweet potatoes

-olive oil

Cut the chicken up into "nugget" size pieces.  Crack the egg in a small bowl and whisk.  Mix flour and spices.  Dip the chicken pieces into the egg, then coat them with the flour/spice mixture.  Cook the chicken pieces in a skillet with olive oil until crispy and done.  Sautee mushrooms and onions if you want them for the salad.

Wash sweet potatoes.  Cut them in half, then slices, then cut the slices into "fries."  I usually keep them about 1/2 an inch thick.  Put the fries in a bowl, drizzle them with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Lay them on a cookie sheet covered in aluminum foil and bake them at 400 for about 30 minutes.  Mix them around about 20 minutes in.

Fix your salad with chicken, other desired toppings and favorite dressing (we stick with olive oil and balsamic vinegar) and serve with fries! 

This is a great meal because you get the leafy greens, a little protein with the chicken, and a whole lotta nutrients in the yams (fiber, Vitamin B6, potassium, vitamin A, vitamin C and manganese.)  Just go light with the oils and salts.  A little goes a long way.

Soft Tacos with Fresh Guacamole

You will need:

-1 lb lean ground beef

-1/4 red onion chopped

- 1/4 green/red pepper chopped

-spices (onion powder, garlic, pepper, oregano, cumin, cayenne pepper...other Mexican spices you might like)

-cilantro

-soft tacos (flour, whole wheat, or corn)

-taco toppings (lettuce, cheese, tomatoes, salsa)

Cook the ground beef until no longer pink.  Drain.  Return meat to skillet and add onions, peppers, cilantro and Mexican spices.  Cook on low until veggies are soft. 

See guacamole recipe in Valentine's Day post.

I usually warm my tortillas before assembling them.  Top them with guac, fresh tomatoes, cheese, salsa, lettuce, whatever you like!

Enjoy!