Last night’s dinner was a fun twist on the ordinary chicken dinner. I had two chicken breasts thawed but no particular plan for them. I decided to spice them up with a little salsa. In case you didn’t know, salsa makes everything wonderful. 
I cooked the chicken in a bit of olive oil. After they were cooked through and browning nicely, I smothered them in salsa and turned the heat to low to let the flavors mingle.
Meanwhile, I made some cole slaw, again with a twist. I chopped about 1/3 head of cabbage, one avocado, and one jalapeno pepper. For the dressing, I mixed 2 T olive oil, 2 T rice vinegar, the juice of two limes, 1 t of cumin, and 2 t dry cilantro. I would skip the vinegar next time.
I also made mashed potatoes, and while I really wanted to spice them up too, I didn’t. I knew my kids would be disappointed if I messed with their beloved mashed potatoes.
I think this is a relatively healthy version of a chicken dinner as well. Salsa is great for adding a lot of flavor without high calories or fat. Similarly, this cole slaw has olive oil and avocado, which are healthier fats than mayo, as far as I’ve read.
How do you like to change up a standard recipe?
