Fresh mint so rarely gets its due in America. We gladly pair it with chocolate and fruit, but it almost never makes appearances in savory dishes. But the rest of the world knows better, adding it with abandon to all manner of savory dairy, vegetable and meat dishes. That’s because a little bit of its naturally sweet, herby flavor can go a long way to playing up the savory elements of a dish.
To demonstrate what a delicious addition mint can be to meaty dishes, we created these chicken wraps that are seasoned with salty capers and olives, a sweet hit of honey and a splash of lemon — all flavors that meld wonderfully with fresh mint.
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MINTED LEMON AND OLIVE CHICKEN WRAPS
Start to finish: 45 minutes
Servings: 8
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons chopped capers
1/2 cup oil-cured black olives, pitted and chopped
Pinch red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon coriander seeds, crushed
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
2 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into 1-inch chunks
1 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
Salt and ground black pepper
8 pita breads or baguette sections, to serve
1 cup fresh ricotta cheese
1 cup sliced seedless cucumber
In a large saute pan over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the onion, garlic, capers, olive and red pepper flakes, then saute for 6 to 8 minutes, or until the onion is tender and starting to brown. Add the coriander, lemon zest and juice, and the chicken. Cook, stirring often, until the chicken is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.
Stir in the honey and mint, then season with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon some of the chicken mixture onto each pita bread or section of baguette, then top with ricotta and cucumber slices.
Nutrition information per serving: 330 calories; 180 calories from fat (55 percent of total calories); 20 g fat (5 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 105 mg cholesterol; 9 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 30 g protein; 390 mg sodium.
