Arugula Pesto Chicken Wrap

I'm pretty sure I was inspired by Rachel Ray one day when I made up this recipe. She makes a lot of easy pesto sauces in her Cuisinart, so I decided to do the same.  For the pesto, instead of olive oil, I used a bit of mayo for a lighter taste than olive oil, but I thinned it out with chicken broth.  I was able to get the right consistency without using too much mayonnaise, ie fat. This recipe makes about 1-2 wraps, depending on how hungry you are, but it is easily adaptable to make enough for 10 if needed.  It's also a very colorful dish which is important since we eat with our eyes first!

What to use:

Arugula
Mayonnaise
Chicken broth
Roma Tomato, chopped
Salt/pepper to taste
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Juice and Zest from 1 lemon
Roasted Chicken patties, chopped (from Trader Joes, could substitute any cooked chicken you have on hand)
Flat bread (Trader Joes Lavish Bread is yummy, but again any wrap/tortilla would be fine)

What to do:

1.   In  a Cuisinart, place a couple handfuls of washed/dried arugula leaves.  Add about 2-3 tsps of mayonaise as well.  Start pulsing it to roughly chop the leaves.

2.  Once the arugula starts getting chopped finely, stream in the chicken broth while its on low.  Add just enough to give it a spreadable consistency, start with a tablespoon or so and add more if needed.  Also add salt and pepper to taste, and a small handful of Parmesan cheese if desired.

3.  Place the pesto in a bowl and add the chopped tomatoes and chicken.  Zest the lemon into the bowl. If you want more lemon flavor, add the juice of 1/4 of the lemon.  Taste, and add more seasoning if needed.




4.  Spread the pesto-chicken mixture onto the flat bread or wrap, roll up, and enjoy!



Hints:
*Remember, you can't take out salt or pepper, so start with a little. Taste as you go, and add more if needed.
*If you made too much pesto, put some aside before you add the chicken and tomatoes.  Use it on pasta, hot or cold, or mix it into scrambled eggs.

Easy Crock-Pot Chicken

This is considered a staple in my house. I cook a whole chicken in the crock pot over night, or during a lazy Sunday, and then freeze the shredded meat. The chicken is ready to use in pastas, salads, quesadillas, enchiladas, sandwiches, soups and anything else you can imagine. I just take out what I need and thaw it on the counter or in the microwave. It's cheap, easy, and makes last-minute dinners without having to get fast-food.

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken
3-4 carrots
3-4 celery stalks
1 medium to large onion
Salt/pepper
Poultry seasoning
Garlic powder
2-3 bay leaves
Liquid of your choice-water, chicken or vegetable broth, white wine

Directions:
1. Chop up the carrots, celery, and onion. Everything should be quartered so that it lasts through the long cooking process.

2. Prepare the chicken in a clean sink by removing the innards and any extra fat that is visible around the end openings. You don't have to do this, but it just grosses me out and unnecessary. Rinse the chicken under running water, inside and out, and then pat dry with paper towels. Place inside the crock pot.
3. Sprinkle the chicken with the salt, pepper, poultry seasoning and garlic powder. Make sure each spice gets all over, around and inside the chicken.

4. Add a few pieces of each vegetable underneath the chicken so it is sitting on them. Then toss a few pieces of each inside the cavity of the chicken as well. The remaining veggies put on top of the chicken. Throw the bay leaves on top.

5. Add enough liquid to fill the crock pot about half way. It should cover at least half of the chicken. If you are using wine, I suggest doing half wine and half water or broth.
6. Place the lid on the crock pot and set for your longest cook time; mine gets set on Low for 8 hours.

7. When the chicken is done, the meat should fall off the bones. Depending on the size of the chicken, this might not take all 8 hours. Remove the chicken from the crock pot, leaving the liquid inside the pot.
8. Shred the meat with two forks (just like in the Pulled Pork recipe from a previous post) or leave in pieces and place in a freezer bag. Label the bag with a Sharpie marker so you know when it was made and what it is and freeze. You're done and ready to begin making lots of easy quick meals for the next month or so.

Tips:
*I usually buy 2 whole chickens at a time-one to freeze, and one to cook-so I always have this on hand. Its the easiest thing to do last minute, and it cooks while you are sleeping or at work!
*Season the chicken however you like- use cumin and chili powder if you want a more Tex-Mex flavor, or add fresh herbs and lemon when you have them on hand.
*Be sure to clean everything really well when handling raw chicken. I usually take the lids off of all my spices before I use them so I can hold the chicken in my left hand and sprinkle with my right. This way I don't have to constantly wash my hands and nothing gets contaminated. Don't forget to clean out the sink if you prepared the chicken in there.

Lemon Rice Soup

This is a great summer dish and a good way to use lemons if you have a tree. My friend Janice and I went to YassoYani's, a local Greek Restaurant in Stockton, and loved this traditional soup. I fell in love with the fresh flavor of the lemon and the creamy texture of the soup. It was refreshing, yet filling at the same time. So of course, I had to find a way to recreate it and make it better. So with the help of an online recipe I found to start us off and some fresh ingredients from Janis's garden this is what we created....delish!!

This recipe will make 3 bowls, so I suggest doubling it so there is more!

Ingredients:
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup cooked rice
garlic powder to taste
salt & pepper to taste
1 tsp or more fresh thyme leaves (strip the leaves off the stems)
3-4 leaves fresh basil (cut them into strips)
lemon zest
Optional: shredded chicken

Directions:
1. In a saucepan, heat up the chicken soup and milk over medium heat until it boils. Whisk the soup while its heating to prevent burning.
2. Once heated through, add the rice, garlic powder, salt, pepper, thyme and basil, saving just a bit of the herbs to top the soup. Then add the lemon juice, a bit at a time first then stir and taste. Add more lemon juice if you want a stronger lemon taste. Let it continue to heat through and simmer for at least 5 minutes to let the flavors blend. If you chose to add chicken, stir it in before you are ready to serve the soup.
3. To finish it off, ladle the soup into bowls and sprinkle the lemon zest and remainder of the herbs on top. Serve warm and enjoy!