Hot pepper and honey make this a sweet and spicy, quick chicken dinner. Sweet potatoes cooked with fresh red bell peppers make an unusual and surprisingly quick side dish.

The dish cooks in only 5 minutes in a microwave oven.

Helpful Hints:

Crushed red pepper, sometimes called hot pepper flakes, can be found in the spice section of the supermarket.

Green or yellow bell peppers can be substituted for the red bell pepper. Alternatively, canned pimentos can be added to the cooked sweet potatoes.

Countdown:

Prepare ingredients.

Start sweet potatoes.

Make chicken.

Finish sweet potatoes.

Hot Pepper Chicken

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

Place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap or foil. Flatten with a meat bat or the bottom of a heavy skillet to about 1/2 inch thick. In a small bowl, mix flour, crushed red pepper and salt and pepper to taste. Dip flattened chicken breasts in the mixture making sure all sides are coated. Heat oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Saute chicken 3 minutes, turn and cook second side 3 minutes. A meat thermometer should read 165 degrees.

While chicken cooks, mix honey and mustard together. Remove chicken to two dinner plates and spread mustard sauce on top. Makes

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 350 calories, 12 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 7 g monounsaturated fat, 125 mg cholesterol, 40 g protein, 21 g carbohydrates,

Exchanges: 1 starch, 5 lean protein,1 fat

Sweet Pepper Potatoes

Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer

1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 3/4 cups)

1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)

2 teaspoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Place potatoes and red bell pepper in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or a plate. Microwave on high 5 minutes. Let stand 1 minute. Remove cover and add olive oil and salt and pe0per to taste. Toss well.

Yield 2 servings.

Per serving: 152 calories, 4.5 g fat, 0.5g saturated fat, 3.5 g monounsaturated fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 2 g protein, 26 g carbohydrates, 4 g dietary fiber, 7 g sugars, 65 mg sodium, 480 mg potassium, 65 mg phosphorus

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable,1 fat

Shopping List:

3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 bottle crushed red pepper, 1 small bottle honey, 1 bottle Dijon mustard, 1/2 pound sweet potatoes, 1 medium red bell pepper.

Staples: Flour, olive oil, salt and black peppercorns.

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