Curried Chicken Salad Wraps

When I was in college, my roommate and I quickly learned that the food at the graduate school cafeterias was much better than our dorm food. So we'd go to the medical school sometimes, but most of the time we chose to eat at the School of Management because of its proximity to us.


Every day for lunch, they'd offer a different kind of wrap, made to order. One of my favorites was an Indian inspired wrap - it had curried chicken in it, rice, and some type of chutney.


When I saw this recipe from Cooking Light, I was reminded of the wraps that I had grown to love in college, and thought I could adapt this recipe to replicate them. I really can't remember if there were grapes or apples in them, but I just used apples because that's what I had on hand. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised with how well these turned out. They weren't exactly like what I remember, but they're pretty close.


So, if you're looking for a quick dinner idea, or something different to pack for lunch during the week, give these wraps a try.

Curried Chicken Salad Wraps
adapted from Cooking Light

click here for printable recipe

6 tablespoons reduced-fat mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon grated orange rind
1 1/2 teaspoons orange juice
1 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 1/2 cups diced roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 3/4 pound) (I used 1 pound and it yield 2 cups)
3/4 cup seedless green grapes, halved (I used diced apples)
1/4 cup diced dried apricots (I used 5 pieces)
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions (I used finely diced red onions)
2 tablespoons chopped unsalted cashews (I don't like nuts so I omitted these)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (I used 1 tsp dried parsley)
4 (6-inch) naan breads (I used flour tortillas but if you want a good naan recipe, click here)
3 cups trimmed watercress (I omitted this but would like to use it next time)
4 tbsp chutney (I used Hot Peach & Apple Chutney)
1 cup cooked rice (basmati would be best but you can use white rice too)

Combine first 5 ingredients in a large bowl; stir with a whisk. Add chicken and next 5 ingredients (through parsley) to mayonnaise mixture, tossing to coat.

Heat naan according to the package directions, if desired.

Spread 1 tablespoon of chutney across one side of your naan/tortilla. Layer on about 1/4 cup cooked rice. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture onto each naan (or tortilla). Top with 3/4 cup watercress; fold over (or roll up wrap tightly if using tortillas. Cut diagonally in half.)

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich/wrap)

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Chipotles are actually smoke-dried jalapeño peppers. Not sure why they need a different name instead of just "dried jalapeños." Guess it's kind of like how we call dried plums prunes :) Chipotles come in many forms (dried, powder, etc.) but the most common form I've seen used in recipes are the canned chipotles in adobo sauce. If you use just the chipotle chiles in this salad, it's only mildly spicy. If you particularly enjoy a lot of heat (like I do) you can add extra chipotle chiles and a teaspoon or two of the adobo sauce.


I'm always looking for quick and easy weeknight dinner ideas and this definitely fit the bill. Plus it's pretty healthy, so even better. I love tex mex dishes with black beans and corn. Top it off with some avocado and I'm sold :) This salad really comes together in just minutes. You can prepare the dressing and cook the chicken the night before. Or, save even more time buy using a store bought/precooked rotisserie chicken. For a little extra crunch in your salad, add some deep fried tortilla strips or crushed tortilla chips.

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad
from Cooking Light

Dressing:
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tablespoon minced chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce (I used about 1.5 tbsp mince chipotles + 2 tsp adobo sauce)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
4 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt

Salad:
4 cups shredded romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped roasted skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 2 breasts) (I seasoned some chicken with salt and pepper, then grilled it on the George Foreman Grill)
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup diced peeled avocado
1/3 cup thinly vertically sliced red onion
1 (15-ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 (8 3/4-ounce) can no-salt-added whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained

To prepare dressing, combine first 7 ingredients, stirring well.

To prepare salad, combine lettuce and remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss gently to coat. Serve immediately.

Tip: Add a spoonful of adobo sauce for a spicier salad. Kidney or pinto beans also taste great in this dish.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 1/2 cups)

Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas

Mayonnaise is like an avocado. People have very strong feelings about it. They either love it or they hate it. My husband won't eat anything with mayo on or in it, but I think that when used properly, mayo can be good in a dish. I recently posted about my homemade pita bread and promised to share with you what I chose to stuff them with. Instead of a traditional Greek filling, I decided to fill mine with chicken salad. I have always been a fan of chicken salad containing pineapple, so when I saw this recipe from Cooking Light, I knew I wanted to try it.


The Worcestershire sauce gave this chicken salad a bit more depth. I added some celery because I like my chicken salad to have a little crunch (and I don't like nuts). The only other thing I would probably change next time is to use canned pineapple tidbits instead of crushed pineapple - I prefer a chunkier chicken salad.


If you don't have any pita bread on hand, this would be great sandwiched between some toasted bread, or simply by itself with a fresh fruit plate.

Pineapple Chicken Salad Pitas
from Cooking Light

2 1/2 cups chopped poached or cooked chicken breast* (about 1 pound) (My 1 lb of chicken yielded about 2 1/4 cups, so you might want to use more chicken; save time by using store bought, precooked Rotisserie chicken)
1/2 cup matchstick-cut carrots
1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted (I omitted these)
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup plain fat-free yogurt
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 (8-ounce) can crushed pineapple in juice, drained
4 (6-inch) whole wheat pitas, each cut in half (I used my homemade pitas)
8 Romaine lettuce leaves (I forgot these)

* To poach your chicken, put the chicken breast halves in a large saucepan and add lightly salted water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes. You can do this with frozen chicken breasts, too.

Combine first 11 ingredients in a large bowl, stirring well. Line each pita half with 1 lettuce leaf; fill each half with 1/3 cup chicken mixture.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 2 stuffed pita halves)