Zesty Chicken Maple Radicchio Wraps

Occasionally, as I’m walking down the street I have an idea for something to do in the kitchen… and then I can’t stop thinking about it till I try it. Not all of my ideas are new concepts, but they always involve using my own kitchen methods and favorite ingredients.

I’m not sure why doing this is so much fun for me, but it really is.

Yesterday, I had one of those recipe ideas…not a new concept…but a new creation for me. I put things together that I thought would taste good, and added flavors that I thought would balance each other well.

And I thought it’d be pretty, too.

Zesty Maple Chicken Radicchio Wraps

1 large chicken breast, diced
1/3 cup chopped cashews (unsalted)
1 clove garlic, minced (more if you like)
1 tsp grade B maple syrup (grade A if you like, but B has more micronutrients)
1 Tbsp butter (my fave is Kerrygold salted)
2 heaping tsp Worcestershire sauce (I used Annie’s)
1 to 3 dashes chipotle powder, to taste (or other hot pepper, cayenne, etc.)
1 to 3 dashes Himalayan or sea salt
2 to 3 finely chopped scallions (the green parts)

In skillet on medium low, melt butter, then add all ingredients except chicken and cashews. Mix the ingredients well, then add chicken and cashews, and saute until the chicken is cooked and the liquid has reduced a bit.

For the wraps:

2 to 4 radicchio leaves (I used 4 half leaves to make 4 wraps)
garnish with diced avocado and chopped scallions

Tip for the radicchio: It can be hard to peel the leaves off without ripping them, so cut around the base of the head of radicchio and peel the leaves off upward.

I made these for myself for lunch on Monday, but with a future dinner mate in mind. I’m glad I tried them on myself first—I don’t always do that, but this method produces less anxiety! These turned out great, and I would say the serving size is two (assuming you’d have a couple side dishes to accompany them. If this is it for your meal, it’s a good amount for one person. I love these and I can’t wait to make them again! I think they’d be really good with shrimp too…

News/Notes:

My movers showed up on Sunday! They called the day before to say they were coming, so it was pretty unexpected (and I won’t go into the details, but let’s just say they parked illegally in the turning lane with a 53 foot truck and the “mover” tried to get me to pay in cash for him and his wife to unload my belongings…). It all turned out ok, and that petite wife was much more tough than she appeared. A bit shady, a bit off center from the contract, and slightly frustrating…but in the end, it all worked out. I had help on my end too, so that made a huge difference (supervising, unpacking, and moral support combined!). I’m in the midst of unpacking, so it’s quite a disaster in here, but I’ll take pics and share soon. My furniture fits perfectly, and I love everything about this place. Seriously.

On Saturday, K and her man and my date and I all went to Universal Studios. I haven’t been there in about 17 years, so it was a trip down memory lane for K and I, and it was a fun activity to do even in the pouring rain!

 

I have an opportunity to do a review for Dr. Lisa Masterson’s fitness shoe line, TheraFit (she’s on the show The Doctors and has a medical spa a few blocks from where I live). I’m working on my plan for the review (it’s a video review) and I’ll post it next week. There’s a giveaway involved, so stay tuned!

I think that’s about it for now. I’m anticipating a great Thanksgiving for lots of reasons, but mainly for the company and the number of things I have to be thankful for. It just keeps getting better and better over here!

What was the last recipe you made up? 

What are your Thanksgiving plans?