Mango-Tango Tacos

I'm just gonna skip right over the fact that I've been on a tiiiny bit of a new recipe hiatus since starting my new job and get straight to the good stuff. This recipe is my own invention made up of bits and pieces from a couple different recipes I found on good ol' Pinterest. Funnily enough, they were recipes I found when looking for slow cooker recipes (as I recently purchased one but had no idea what to actually use it for), and I didn't even end up using it to make it. If you're hoping for a run-of-the-mill, traditional Mexican taco recipe, you may be disappointed. But I urge to keep an open mind and keep reading, 'cuz while this ain't your average taco, it was CRAZY good, and simple to make too. They're the perfect fresh, light meal.

Yes, they are as delicious as they look. For my Mango-Tango Tacos, you will need...
- chicken breasts (I got pre-cooked, a little bit for the sake of convenience, but mostly out of my lack of experience cooking chicken and fear of giving myself salmonella, so two-birds really)
- Kraft's mango-chipotle dressing/marinade
- tortilla or soft-taco shells
- red cabbage
- sour cream (I like to use light)
- lime juice
- cilantro
- avocado
- mango
- red onion
- chipotle chili powder
- paprika

How to make it:
1. Prepare your chicken: Marinade your chicken breasts in Kraft's mango-chipotle dressing/marinade (and if using raw chicken, cook it however you like). I only marinaded mine for about 15 minutes because I didn't prepare ahead of time and was impatient, but the longer it marinades the more it soaks up the flavour. When finished, shred the chicken with forks.
2. Prepare your sauce: Mix sour cream, lime juice, chipotle chili powder and paprika together in a bowl to taste.
3. Prepare your mango-avocado salsa: Dice up your mango and avocado, finely chop your red onion and cilantro, and mix together in a bowl with lime juice.
4. Chop up your red cabbage.
5. Heat your tortillas in either the oven or the microwave. Load them up with chicken, salsa and cabbage, and top with sauce and a bit of cilantro.

Flavor explosion. Mind blown.

Pesto and Arugula-Apple Salad Pizza

This is a bit of a different spin on what we would traditionally think of as pizza but it is equally (if not even more) delicious! Not being a fan of anything tomato, I definitely prefer the pesto to traditional tomato sauce, and covering it in a fresh, healthy salad rather than smothering it with cheese is a sweet and refreshing change. It makes the perfect light meal and can be ready in 15 minutes or less. I wish I had thought of this sooner!

Inspired by this recipe, my own version consists of...
- pita bread (I used whole wheat) or any other form of pizza crust
- pesto sauce
- goat cheese
- baby arugula
- red onion
- pecans
- apple slices
- balsamic vinaigrette dressing

How to make it:
1. Preheat your oven to 425 degrees, and place your crust on a baking sheet (I used a pita but you could also use naan bread or traditional pizza crust).
2. Cover your crust with pesto sauce leaving however much crust you want. Use as much or as little as you like, trying to distribute it evenly.
3. Sprinkle pizza with a little bit of goat cheese and baby arugula.
4. Slice up your apple and red onion, and add to your pizza with some pecan bits.
5. Finish with another light sprinkling of goat cheese and bake in the oven for about 8 minutes.
6. Remove your pizza from the oven and drizzle with a little balsamic vinaigrette.