Wrap, Wrap, Wrap; Wrap it up, I'll Take it.

Notice how the fast food giants like Burger King and McDonalds are now offering a variety of wraps. Wraps are basically another form of the sandwich; another form of a convenient, on the go, can be held with one hand, type of meal. They can be made at home, with the exact ingredients you want, and you can have it your way. This is going to be a simple blog post about making chicken wraps, since this is the type of protein mainly pushed by those giants.

The nice thing about wraps is that you can have many textures inside the bread component (usually a tortilla), so your taste buds and hunger are fulfilled.  If you choose grilled chicken, crisp vegetables give you the crunch; but if you choose fried chicken, then softer veggies provide a balance; like I said, have it your way.

When I fry up chicken strips (sliced up boneless, skinless chicken breasts) or chicken tenderloins, the coating I use depends on either what is see in the pantry first (Italian flavored bread crumbs or Panko), or how much crunch I want in the final product. For chicken wraps, it has to be ultra crunchy, so I'm going to be using Panko. (Link to recipe)



I'll be giving you an idea for three wraps: All American, California and Mexican.  All three will have chopped lettuce and diced tomatoes, and that's as basic as I'm getting with those vegetables.  While I'll tell you what I put in these versions of wraps, your version can be what I suggest, or anything your heart desires.  In the photo is a general idea of what goes into making a wrap, besides the proteins and vegetables; some type of shredded or grated cheese, a sauce which offers moisture, flavor and smooth texture, and the wrap.  Although I used a 10 inch flour tortilla for each, a flavored tortilla such as spinach or red bell pepper can work just as well.  For the chicken strips I recommend only two, since the tenderloins or tenderloin sized strips are on the large size.  You're also going to notice that I do not put amounts for most of the ingredients since it all depends on how much the maker of the wrap wants inside.  A lot of decision making pressure, I know, but I'm sure you can handle it.

All American

California

Mexican

All American Chicken Wrap

Ingredients:

chopped lettuce
diced tomatoes
honey mustard dressing/sauce
2 chicken strips
4 slices crisp bacon
cheese

California

Ingredients:

chopped lettuce
diced tomatoes
green goddess dressing (if you can't find this, use cucumber dressing)
2 chicken strips
4 slices avocado

Instead of lettuce and tomatoes, my hubby prefers bean sprouts and peeled, sliced cucumbers.



Mexican

Ingredients:

chopped lettuce
diced tomatoes
spicy ranch dressing
cheese
2 chicken strips
jalapeno slices

Preparation:

Lie the tortilla on a flat surface.  Place a layer of lettuce and diced tomatoes first to create a barrier; the crisp chicken won't poke holes through the tortilla.  When putting down dressings/sauces, use  a bottle with a nozzle to control the flow; in a right to left (or vice versa) motion, draw a line over the lettuce, tomatoes, and onto the exposed tortilla surface also (helps hold the cheese in place).  Put down the chicken strips and whatever other toppings desired.

Fold the bottom end of the tortilla over the fillings, but not so tight against them that the tortilla will begin to break.  Fold over one side, tucking in the corner piece that will be sticking out from the folded bottom.  Now depending on how much you've put in as filling, you can either roll the tortilla to close up the other side; or fold the other side over to finish enclosing the ingredients (tuck in that other bottom corner). 

Now open your mouth wide and enjoy!

Mary Cokenour

Panko Fried Green Movie Food.

In 1991, the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" made its screen debut and became an instant hit.  My favorite line, to this day, is still when Kathy Bates' character purposely smashes her vehicle into a car full of rude young women,  "Face it girls, I'm older and have more insurance."  While the ending of the movie may make you think twice about your favorite barbecue joint; a dish called "fried green tomatoes" became all the rage.

The Autumn Equinox has come which is the second harvest; surprise, surprise that I found some medium sized green tomatoes in my garden.  I picked the firm jewels with the intention of finally making fried green tomatoes.  Finally?  Yes, I admit that I have never had them before; two reasons really; first being I don't follow fads and the movie made the recipe into a fad.  Secondly, well I just didn't want to try them; I'm not a fan of eating sliced red tomatoes, so green ones didn't sound tempting at all.  Yes!  I admit it, I was wrong!!!

Before picking the tomatoes, I had already defrosted some chicken tenderloins to fry up; so here was my chance to fry two birds with one skillet.  Alright, bad attempt at making a pun joke.  Anyway, I made 1/4 inch slices of the tomatoes, sprinkling salt and pepper on both sides. The chicken was already in a plastic container which I added a beaten egg and half an 8 ounce package of panko bread crumbs to. I liberally coated each strip and set aside to rest. In a small bowl of beaten egg, I coated the tomato slices and pressed panko onto both sides of each slice. Panko, in case you didn't know, is Japanese bread crumbs, coarsely ground making them look more like flakes than crumbs. The large surface area absorbs seasoning well, but not oil, so they have a light, airy and very crispy texture after frying.

Into my Wok, I added an inch of peanut oil, but canola oil is good to use if you cannot find peanut oil. Once it began to sizzle, I began adding the tomato slices, four at a time; they will fry up more quickly if using a Wok, so keep an eye on the browning. I used my wire straining spoon to remove them to paper towels for drainage. The taste was, well you get hit with the bitter, but than a sweetness mildly creeps in before the bitter comes back. I tried different condiments; ranch dressing added a sour taste; green goddess dressing didn't add a thing; but a couple drops of Cholula hot sauce added a nice zing to the tomatoes. Overall, I liked them plain while they were hot; once they began to cool down, not so much.

I then began frying up the chicken tenderloins three at a time. Frying in the Wok allowed for faster cooking, so after 1 1/2 minutes, I turned the chicken, cooked an additional 1 1/2 minutes and then removed to paper towels for drainage. Oh my, oh my; these were the best chicken strips I had ever fried up; tender and so juicy that the liquid actually ran down my chin. The panko coating was so light and crispy; just too, too delicious for words.

Three chicken tenderloins and 4 fried green tomato slices were my dinner. I had died and gone to culinary heaven after pampering myself with this meal. All I can say is, "TRY IT!!!".

Mary Cokenour

R & F Restaurant is Welcomed Comfort.

R & F Restaurant

149 East Center Street (Route 491)
Monticello, Utah, 84535

(435) 587-2440

Website: N/A

After reading many reviews online, I was a bit hesitant about having a meal in this local establishment. However, I wouldn't be very useful at restaurant reviews if I just went by what others wrote. Camera and reading material in bag, off to R & F I went to get my own conclusions.

As I was walking up to R & F's door, I was greeted cheerily by employees standing outside; and even had the door opened for me. My hostess and waitress was Fana; and if you want to feel like a little kid in grandma's kitchen, she'll oblige you with a smile. Now I could have been a tourist passing through or a local dining alone, the employees there didn't know, but they treated me very, very well.



The interior is reminiscent of an old time country kitchen and that decor is intentional; just like the feeling of being in grandma's kitchen. The entire place is clean and that includes the kitchen area which I was allowed to visit. R & F is open 7 days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner; 90% of the menu items are house made.


For dinner, I chose the Chicken Strips which came with a choice of potato, vegetable of the day and a cup of soup or a salad. I tried the soup of the day which was Chicken Noodle. A savory seasoned thick broth with old fashioned noodles, carrots and shredded chicken; a real stick to your ribs kind of soup. Just writing about it is making me crave more.



The chicken strips are coated in a mixture of flour and cornmeal; then deep fried to a crispy golden brown. At a half inch thick, the chicken was tender and juicy; it came with a spicy bbq sauce on the side, but you didn't really need it. The fries were crispy on the outside, fluffy inside and piping hot. The corn on the cob was hot, sweet and a perfect side for what I had ordered. No dessert for me; the meal I had just eaten was just right.

R & F is on Route 491 as you are going to or coming from Colorado; and if you're hungry, make sure to stop on in. There are many hotels and motels in Monticello, Utah and I hope they're giving their guests a hint about R & F. Oh, and if you're there on a Wednesday, stop on in for Mexican night; we're talking authentic Mexican cuisine. Whether you're a tourist or trucker passing through, or one of the locals; you'll feel welcomed comfort at R & F.

Mary Cokenour

Not All Chili Sauce is Red.

You've seen the Heinz Chili Sauce bottle in the condiment aisle of every supermarket; it might even be a staple in your own home cooking. Its base ingredient is tomatoes and the thickness of the sauce makes it a good enhancement for soups, stews, barbeque sauces and marinades.

However, when dealing with Asian cuisine, tomatoes are not high on the list of ingredients, if at all. The sauces tend to be thin to medium thickness and colors range from yellowish to a deep brown. Seeing many of the ingredients such as garlic and hot peppers lets one know what may be in store for the taste buds.

Thai Chili Sauce is a versatile condiment that can be used for dipping cooked foods into or as a marinade before cooking, mainly grilling. It awakens four tastes within the mouth: sweet, sour, spicy and salty; basically enhancing a food four ways.

Thai Chili Sauce

Ingredients:

1/2 cup rice vinegar (if not available, use white wine vinegar)
¼ cup sugar
½ cup water
¼ cup fish sauce (if not available, use light soy sauce)
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp minced garlic
dried hot pepper flakes (1 tsp=mild, 2 tsp=medium, 1 Tbsp=hot)
2 Tbsp corn starch

Preparation:

Mix together all ingredients, except corn starch, in a small sauce pan and bring to boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and continue to cook until liquid reduces by half.

Reduce heat to low; whisk in corn starch; continue to cook for 2 minutes to allow sauce to thicken..

Makes about ¾ cup.

When frying foods, use Panko (Japanese bread crumbs) as it holds onto sauces without losing its crunchy texture.

Cut up chicken, pork, vegetables or firm fish like cod or halibut no larger than two inches. Seafood such as shrimp, oysters, clams and scallops can be fried whole.

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup corn starch
1 tsp salt
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups Panko
2-3 cups canola or peanut oil for frying
1 lb cut up food items

Preparation:

Prepare dredging station; bowl one is the flour, corn starch and salt; bowl two is the beaten eggs; bowl three is the Panko.

Heat oil on medium-high heat; amount is determined by what kind of pan or skillet being used for frying; oil should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep.

Dredge food into bowl one, shake off excess before coating with egg; thoroughly coat with Panko. When oil is ready (water drops will sizzle), carefully place 6 to 8 pieces in the oil. Cooking time will depend on what foods are being used; chicken takes about 3-4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and repeat until all food is cooked.

The fried foods can be served with a bowl of the Thai Chili Sauce on the side and dipped at your leisure.

- OR -

You can dip the food into the sauce and serve it up on pieces of lettuce and make lettuce wraps. By the way, the sauce is so good, you might even consider using it as an Asian style salad dressing.

However you serve it up, you'll make a great impression.

Mary Cokenour