Honey Dijon Grilled Chicken Wraps

My husband is a huge fan of these chicken wraps which really surprised me at first because they are completely loaded with raw vegetables! This is one of my favorite things to make for a quick dinner~ it's got all sorts of crunchy, fresh vegetables, but it also has deliciously marinated chicken, pepper jack cheese and, of course, bacon! It's one of those great sandwiches that everyone will like, even if they swear up and down they don't like raw veggies. You can just go right ahead and forget that you're eating bacon, cheese and mayo (they're cancelled out by the veggies, of course). Because I'm posting this on Thanksgiving, I wanted to mention that you can easily swap out the chicken for turkey. You can also combine some cranberry sauce with mayonnaise instead of using the mayonnaise/dijon blend. YUM. Serves 2

Ingredients:

For the wrap:
2 large flour tortillas

4 strips of cooked bacon

2-4 sliced mushrooms

julienned red pepper

julienned red onion

a small handful of greens (I prefer spring mix)

sliced avocado

sliced pepperjack

For the mayonnaise: mix 3 tbsp. mayonnaise with 1 tbsp. djion mustard

For the chicken:
1 chicken breast

juice of 2 lemon

3 tbsp. honey

1 tbsp. dijon mustard

salt

black pepper

3 tbsp. vegetable oil

Assembly:

Grill the chicken for 5-6 minutes on each side over medium heat. Let the chicken rest for about 5-10 minutes then slice it on the bias. Using a spoon, smear the mayonnaise/dijon mixture on the tortilla then add a few slices of chicken and each of the vegetables. Be careful not to overfill the tortilla, otherwise you will have problems closing it, and it might rip. Wrap one side over, then wrap the bottom and roll the tortilla over (burrito-style). Slice in the center and serve.

Technique Tuesday: Roasting Peppers

Roasted peppers have an amazing flavor ~ they are sweet and tender with a delicious grilled flavor that makes them hard to resist. Roasting peppers is incredibly easy and only requires a few ingredients and basic technique. They are incredibly versatile too; I like to dress them with a balsamic vinaigrette, add them to pasta or rice, top salads or sandwiches or add them to mayonnaise and garlic for a delicious aioli. You can roast peppers in the oven or on the grill, you just have to make sure to follow the simple steps below and your taste buds will be rewarded!

1. Leave your peppers whole
There's no need to mess with your peppers before roasting them. Simply place them directly on the grill or in the oven whole.

2. Be adventurous when choosing your peppers
You can roast any pepper for a delicious new flavor profile. Try sweet Italian peppers (pictured above), bell peppers or jalepeno, serrano or cubanelle peppers. Not only are roasted peppers delicious, but they are also beautiful, so don't shy away from making them the star of a dish. Try roasting different colored bell peppers and dressing them with my vinaigrette (search in sidebar) for a delicious and light salad.

3. Oil your peppers
Brush your peppers with either vegetable or olive oil before placing them on the grill. This will prevent sticking and give you a beautiful, even roast all the way around.

4. Set your heat
Set your oven or grill to medium-high heat (for the oven, I like it to be around 400 degrees). Use tongs to turn them every few minutes. It should only take about 10 minutes to roast a large pepper.

5. Don't be afraid of blackening!
You will know that your pepper is ready when it is blackened all around (see photo). You will be peeling the blackened skin off of the pepper in the last few steps. Underneath the blackened skin is tender, juicy pepper flesh, so don't be put off by the blackness!

5. Use paper bags
After you take your peppers out of the oven or off of the grill, place them in a paper bag and roll down the top to close it. The steam from the hot pepper will help pull the blackened skin right off the pepper's flesh. After about 5 minutes, take them out of the bag, and the skin should come off easily. No need to burn your fingers trying to remove the skin right away!

6. Remove the seeds and membranes
Split your roasted pepper down the center and gently scrape the seeds and membranes out using a butter knife or spoon. You will be left with the tender flesh of the pepper.

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli
Ingredients:
basic aioli (search in the sidebar for "messing with mayo" to find this recipe)
1 roasted red pepper, peeled and seeded

Assembly:
Roast pepper according to steps above. Allow pepper to cool completely. Blend aioli and red pepper using an immersion blender or mini-Cuisinart. Spread on a baguette or sandwich or use as a dipping sauce for fries, etc.