Here's a recipe that works really well for lunches: it's simple, but a little more than "a plain old sandwich" since it involves whipping up a pesto sauce from fresh herbs. The creamy pesto sauce is mixed with shredded chicken to create a chicken salad that is nutrient dense, seasonal, and full of flavor.
Simple. Healthy. Delicious.
Notes:
–Easiest to make with this creamy pesto sauce on hand.
Time Saving Tips and Tricks
Prep - The shredded chicken and creamy pesto sauce can be made several days ahead of time and stored in the fridge. The pesto must be kept in an air tight had or ziplock bag.
Make Ahead - There is a reason that this recipe makes 5 wraps. Assemble them, wrap them in plastic wrap and store in an airtight container. Lunch for the week!
Freezer- Pesto keeps in the freezer for 2-3 months! Double the recipe, use some now, save some for later! To freeze, put the creamy pesto sauce in an airtight ziplock bag and lay it flat in the freezer. Make sure to label and date the bag... it looks an awful lot like a classic green monster smoothie!
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Creamy Pesto Chicken Wrap
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 5 wraps 1x
Ingredients
- SHREDDED CHICKEN:
- 1 TBS Olive Oil
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast (organic recommended)
- 2 cups chicken broth (homemade recommended)
- Juice of 1 lemon
- Salt, to taste
- Pepper, to taste
- CREAMY PESTO SAUCE:
- ½ cup almonds
- ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
- 2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- 2 cups spinach, roughly chopped
- 1 cup basil, roughly chopped
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- ½ cup olive oil
- Juice of 1 lemon
- ¼ cup of water
- 2 TBS yogurt, plain (organic and whole milk recommended)
- ¼ cup parmesan (optional)
- EXTRAS:
- Whole wheat tortillas
- Desired toppings (lettuce, tomato, avocado, bell peppers, artichokes, etc.)
Instructions
- Shredded Chicken: Heat olive oil over medium heat in large skillet. Dry chicken and season both sides of chicken with salt and pepper. Place chicken top side down in the skillet and let it cook until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Flip and add 1 cup of chicken broth and the lemon juice to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Allow chicken to simmer until it is cooked through. Remove from skillet. Use 2 forks to shred chicken.
- Pesto: Toast pine nuts in a small skillet on medium low heat until golden in color. Dump pine nuts, almonds, and garlic into a high speed blender or food processor. Pulse 10 times. Add spinach, basil, salt, pepper, lemon juice, olive oil, water, and yogurt. Pulse or blend until smooth. Add parmesan if desired and pulse until it is fully incorporated.
- Putting it all together: In a medium bowl combine the shredded chicken and desired amount of pesto (the pesto has A LOT of flavor so there is no need to "drown" the chicken). In a skillet heat the tortillas until they are warmed through, this helps prevent them from tearing. Spoon ⅕ of the chicken mixture onto each tortilla. Add desired toppings.
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