Warm Chicken Salad and Sweet Potato Fries

I am not a professional food photographer. Let's just say that last night's dinner tasted a whole lot better than this photo shows. AND it was so nutrient-dense... our bodies are thanking us : )

Warm Chicken Salad with Sweet Potato Fries

**This meal is a tasty option for readers on a low-carb diet. ** This was also a really quick meal, so keep it in mind for nights when you have less than 30 minutes.**

I first thought about serving the chicken salad on a bed of greens, but I ended up cooking them all together in one pot. This was mostly for convenience, but it turned out very nicely. If you wanted to cook them separately, it would make a more sophisticated presentation. It's up to you.

This recipe uses the meat from half of a pastured chicken. My frequent readers will know that I cook a crock pot chicken on most Mondays. That way, I have the meat for two or three meals during the week. If you are using meat from a whole chicken, double the following ingredients:

• Shredded Chicken
• One Medium Onion
• 2-3 Carrots
• A Red Bell Pepper would be very nice, but I only have the produce from my box
• Three Cloves of Garlic
• One Bunch of Greens
• One Lemon
• Sliced Almonds
• Salt, Pepper

Start by dicing the onion and carrots. Saute' them in a few tablespoons of EVOO (that's extra virgin olive oil). When they begin to soften, add in three minced garlic cloves. Wash and chop one bunch of greens. I used collards, but you could also use spinach, kale or chard. Add the chopped greens to the same pot; reduce the heat and cook until the greens are barely done. You don't want to cook the life out of them!

Once the veggies are done, stir in your reserved meat. Add about 1/2 cup of sliced almonds. Squeeze the juice of one lemon. Add 1/2 tsp. of black pepper and salt to taste. Voila! This "salad" had a very unique but full flavor.

For the Sweet Potato Fries, preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Peel and slice lengthwise several sweet potatoes. Pour a few tablespoons of EVOO on a cookie sheet. With your hands, stir the sliced sweet potatoes into the EVOO so that they are coated. Sprinkle with AE's seasoning salt* and bake at 425 degrees until starting to crisp and brown.

AE's Seasoning Salt

Most spice combinations sold commercially contain additives that can include MSG. Did you know that MSG has several names and is included under the words "natural flavoring" and "seasoning"? I buy my spices in bulk from the Health Food Store. It is significantly cheaper this way, and they are all MSG-free. Then I make my own seasoning blends. I use AE's Seasoning Salt on pita chips, potatoes, sweet potatoes... and on "garlic bread" too.

In an old spice container mix:

• 4 tsp. Sea Salt
• 3 tsp. Chili Powder (you want to buy this from a health food store to avoid the added MSG)
• 2 tsp. Garlic Powder (read the label to make sure it is simply powdered garlic)
• 1 tsp. Black Pepper

You can adjust the spices to your taste. But it is ever-so-nice to have this preservative- and additive-free spice blend close at hand.