An Inspired Cook

Earlier in the summer I smoked 2 whole chickens, pulled the meat and vacuum sealed it for the freezer. I find many ways to incorporate smoked chicken into soups and salads as well as recipes that need cooked chicken like enchiladas. Smoked chicken tastes a lot like rotisserie chicken in that it is moist, tender and quite flavorful. This chicken salad reflects my NM roots with roasted green chile and fresh corn blended together with a creamy mayo and chile lime salt. There are many flavors throughout but adding a drizzle of cilantro lime vinaigrette took this wrap to another level. The vinaigrette is tangy and robust that adds to the chicken salad topped with lettuce, tomato and sliced avocado. Next time you have some leftover cooked chicken, give this wrap a try.

Over the summer I smoked a couple of chickens that had been marinated in lime and orange juice with garlic, salt and cilantro. If smoked chicken is not an option, you can use leftover cooked chicken or pulled rotisserie chicken to make this chicken salad wrap.

The ingredients I used in this chicken salad is pulled smoked chicken, mayo, sliced green onion, roasted green chile, cilantro, fresh corn cut from the cob, garlic powder and chile lime salt. In place of the chile lime salt you could add a spritz lime juice, along with red chile flakes and sea salt.

Add all those ingredients together and taste. If chicken salad is too dry add another tablespoon of mayo. Season to taste. If not using immediately, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

For the wrap you will want flour tortillas that have been warmed over an open flame of a gas stove or warmed in the microwave for 20 seconds. Our wrap consisted of green chile chicken salad, lettuce, tomato, avocado and drizzled with cilantro lime vinaigrette.

Wrap it up in your tortilla and enjoy!

Green Chile Chicken Salad Wrap with Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

1/2 pound Cooked Chicken, pulled or chopped (can be smoked chicken, rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken without the skin and bones)
1/4 cup Mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Green Chile, roasted, peeled, seeded and chopped, adjust amount if too spicy or not spicy enough
2 tablespoons Fresh Corn Kernels cut from the cob
1 tablespoon Green Onion, sliced thin
1 tablespoon Cilantro, roughly chopped
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chile Lime Salt (can substitute spritz of lime juice, 1/8 teaspoon red chile flakes and 1/4 teaspoon salt)
Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. If the salad is too dry add an additional tablespoon of mayo. Season to taste. If not using immediately, place plastic wrap over top and refrigerate.

Cilantro Lime Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1/2 bunch Cilantro, large stems removed
1 – 2 tablespoons Maple Syrup, to taste
1/2 teaspoon Mustard Powder
1 clove Garlic, minced
Pinch of Salt
Use a hand blender to combine all the ingredients. Process until well blended. Taste and adjust the flavors if needed. If too tart, add more Maple Syrup, if too bitter, add another pinch of salt.

Store in a jar with a lid in the refrigerator.

To make wraps, heat 2 medium flour tortillas over an open flame of a gas stove top or microwave for 20 seconds. Divide the chicken salad in half and spread over the 2 tortillas. Top each with chopped lettuce, tomato and sliced avocado. Drizzle with cilantro lime vinaigrette.

Makes 2 servings.