Fragrant Ginger-Lime Chicken Strips

This is my favorite chicken "finger" recipe.  Kids like them, but so do adults.   They're baked, not fried (better for you).  But they are also loaded with flavor (so you'll feel like you're really treating yourself).

Marinate the chicken overnight or for at least 4 hours. 

When you're ready to "bread" the chicken, set up a little assembly line.

Your fingers will get pretty messy, so make sure your kiddos/pets/husbands are occupied.  :)  It's annoying to have to stop with giant globs of breading stuck to your fingers.

Place the breaded chicken strips on a baking sheet that's been lined with parchment paper.  You'll be thanking yourself later.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 450 degrees.

Yumola. 

These freeze very well.  I like to prepare a double or triple batch, bake them all, and then freeze some on a baking sheet for about an hour or two.  After the chicken is frozen through, I transfer them to a freezer bag.  When you want to reheat, simply bake at 350 for about 10-15 minutes. 

Fragrant Ginger-Lime Chicken Fingers
1 clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1/4 cup lime juice
4 tablespoons minced fresh ginger, divided
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil (I substituted tahini...you can also substitute olive oil in a pinch)
1 teaspoons cornstarch
1/8 cup water
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch-wide strips
2 and 1/2 cups dried bread crumbs
1/8 cup sesame seeds
3/4 cup unbleached all-purpose flour
2 large eggs, whisked with 1/2 cup water
Canola oil for spraying

To make marinade:

In a large bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice, 2 tablespoons of ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, and water.  Marinate chicken at least 4 hours in the refrigerator.  Use a freezer zip-lock bag and turn it every hour or so to really get the chicken well-soaked.

To make breading mixture:

In a large bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, remaining 2 tablespoons of minced ginger, and the sesame seeds.

Prepare the assembly line:

Clear an area on your counter and prepare to get your fingers messy.  Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.  Then put the flour in one bowl, the beaten eggs in a second bowl, and bread crumb mixture in a third container.  Coat the chicken in flour, knock off the excess.  Dunk the chicken in the egg mixture and then roll it in the bread crumb mixture.  Place the chicken on the baking sheet and continue until all chicken has been coated.

Bake in a preheated oven at 450 for 20-25 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown.

Recipe from:  The Whole Foods Market Cookbook 

Here's the printable recipe. 

A Little Hiatus

The other day I noticed that I had lost a couple of blog followers.   My inner people-pleaser opened her worthless mouth and started taunting me about not blogging enough.  And about needing to take better pictures.  "Aren't you going to read those books you bought about food styling and photography?  And what about linking up to more linky parties to increase your blog traffic; you aren't spending enough time working on this stuff.  These people are tired of waiting around for you.  They are going to go somewhere else with prettier pictures and more original recipes.  And..." 

On and on and on she yammered until I could stand it no longer.

"SHUT UP!!!" I yelled (in my mind, of course.  I'm crazy enough to know I'm crazy.)

Last Saturday, I got pummeled in a game of chess.  By my 5 year old.  I loved watching his expressions, his knitted brow, his tongue poking out of his mouth when he was in the deep trenches of concentration, his passionate explanations of how the bishop can only move diagonally, and, "No!  You can't move the rook like that, Mommy!"  

Have you ever wanted to inhale a moment?  To sear the scent of a delicious memory on your brain, brand it in living color, tuck it away in a spot from which time can never rob?  That's how I felt on Saturday.  I could smell the chlorine in Timothy's hair from being at the pool the day before (we were too tired for baths on Friday night).  His breath was still stinky from his nap.  Matthew was drinking chocolate milk while sitting in my lap;  I could smell the Ovaltine.  Chris was making our afternoon pot of coffee.  Chemicals, bad breath, coffee.  Isn't it odd what things can move our hearts?  My boys.  My husband.  My home.  My word.  I have completely opened my heart to its fullest, most vulnerable position.  Sometimes it's scary, like I'm a big fat doe standing under a corn feeder who has arrived at the sudden realization that a camo-clad man with a gun is sitting really still in a nearby stand.  And his finger's on the trigger.  But you know what?  I'm not running into the protection of the woods.  Without loving and giving my full, raw and sometimes shredded heart over to those I love, my life would be the brown exoskeleton of a cicada that my boys found on the picket fence the other day.  Dry.  Crunchy.  Worthless. 

What in God's green earth does all that mess have to do with losing followers?

I have no idea.  Except that when I started digging more into "how to advertise on your blog" and "how to make a career out of being a food blogger" a little throw up came up my throat because it felt like I was back in high school trying to wear the right jeans and weigh the right number.  "How many followers do you have on Twitter?"  "How many people "like" your Facebook page?"  "How many pageviews do you have in a day?"  SHEESH.  I haven't even really started and I already feel like a socially-inept wallflower. 

So if I give more of my time to seeking out "followers" and "likers" and every other "ers" out there, who is paying for it?

My kids. 

I've been spending too much time trying to be too many things and not enough time rejoicing that I am their mommy.  

So, I've got to take a step back.  Figure out what the heck I'm doing and why I'm doing it.  I'm still going to post my recipes and all, but maybe not as often.  So, if you don't want to "follow" me anymore, hey, I understand.

For Pete's sake!  Does ANYONE ELSE out there struggle with this stuff?  Please don't tell me that I'm alone in trying to balance the addiction of positive blogging affirmation (by mostly strangers, God bless you all) with doing far more important things (like getting creamed in a game of chess by my kid).  

Who knows. I may never figure it out.  But I know I need to always default to my family.  

Speaking of the little darlings, did you know that toads dig holes in the ground and come out when said holes are flooded with water by curious children?

Two plump, docile toads popped out of these holes.  My kids (and their friends) squealed with excitement. 

Also, this sweet baby toad came out. 

And it blessed me.

Because that's exactly how I feel in God's hands. 

Thanks for being my living journal today.  Or, as I tell my girlfriends, "Thanks for holding back my hair while I throw up my crazy..."  

Love, 

Timothy's and Matthew's Mommy

Lemon Curd Roulade with Berry Coulis

As you hang up the phone, your heart begins to pound.  On this hot summer's day, you've just learned that four friends will be popping by for a visit in the late afternoon.  You tie your apron strings and pat back your hair, wondering aloud, "What in Heaven's name will I serve to these genteel ladies?"  The cupboard is mostly bare and the children are napping.  

Translation:  you're going to have to wing it.

Enter a fancy-sounding dessert with a pleasingly simple preparation:  Lemon Curd Roulade with Berry Coulis.

If you have a store-bought jar of lemon curd on hand, give thanks.  If not, inhale deeply.  You can make it quickly...from scratch.

Do you have a box of frozen puff pastry sheets?  (This is a wonderful thing to keep in the freezer.  It's uses range from sweet to savory and it will keep for a long time.)

How about some fresh or frozen berries?  (Scroll down for the easy-peasy Summer Berry Coulis recipe.)

Yes?  

Alrighty, then! You may as well smile, turn on your favorite music, and pour a glass of iced tea.  Enjoy this creative moment in your kitchen!

Lemon Curd
About 1 cup

3 large eggs
1/3 cup sugar
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

To prepare, vigorously whisk together the eggs, sugar and lemon zest in a medium stainless steel or enamel saucepan.  Then, add the lemon juice and the butter.  Cook, over medium heat, and continuously whisk until the mixture is thickened.  Then, gently simmer for a few seconds.  Using a spatula, scrape the filling into a medium-mesh sieve set over a bowl and strain the filling into the bowl (this will remove the zest).  Stir in the vanilla.  

Let cool, cover, and refrigerate to thicken the curd.  It will keep, refrigerated, for about a week. 

Recipe from The New All purpose Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, 1997)

To Prepare Roulade:

To hasten the thawing of the puff pastry, remove it from the box and set it on the counter as you prepare the curd.  In about 30 minutes it should be ready to work with.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.   Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. 

Lightly sprinkle a work surface (counter top, cutting board, etc.) with flour.  Unfold the puff pastry, dust with a bit more flour, and then roll with a rolling pin, just to enlarge the surface area of the dough a bit and to smooth out the creases.

Spoon 4 to 5 tablespoons of lemon curd over the pastry dough.  

Spread with a spatula or the back of the spoon.  

Beginning at the end furthest from yourself, roll the dough.  

When you get to the end, a bit of curd may be oozing out.  Remove it with a spoon, if desired. 

Pinch the free edge to "attach" it to the dough nearby.  This will create a seam.

Place the roulade, seam side down, on the prepared baking sheet.  Bake for 25-30 minutes.  

Summer Berry Coulis*

About 1 cup

1 cup fresh strawberries** (if using frozen berries, thaw under running cold water)

1 cup fresh raspberries**(thaw if frozen)

3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Puree the berries in a food processor fitted with a steel blade or in a blender.  Add sugar and lemon juice. Taste.  Stir in more lemon juice or sugar if needed.

Serve at once, either at room temperature or chilled, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Recipe from The New All purpose Joy of Cooking (Rombauer, 1997)

*Coulis is just a fancy French word for sauce.  Pronounced "coo-lee".
**Set a few berries aside for garnish, if desired.

To assemble the dessert:

Place the roulade, seam side down, on an oblong serving dish.  Place the coulis in a Zip-lock bag.  Seal the bag and then snip off a tiny corner of the bag with scissors.  Squeeze the coulis out of the bag to drizzle over the roulade.  Garnish with fresh mint leaves and fresh berries, if desired.  Cut roulade in diagonal slices to serve.  Place a pool of coulis on each plate alongside the slice of roulade.

Now give yourself a giant pat on the back, you little dessert diva, you.


PRINTABLE RECIPES:
Here's the printable recipe for the Lemon Curd.
Here it is for the Berry Coulis.
(I'm having technical difficulties with the printables, so check back later for corrected versions...)

Linking up at these great parties:

Ice Cream Pie with Chocolate Cornflake Crust

It's hot.

Really hot.

My current mindset is this: if it's not refrigerated or frozen, I'm not interested in eating it. 

This ice cream pie perfectly fits my demands.

One of the places my hometown friends and I frequented in Fredericksburg, Texas was The Peach Tree Tea Room. The list of yummy things to indulge in was long and enticing, but our favorite thing to share was this ice cream pie. The only tricky part was trying to gracefully cut into the hard chocolate-coated-cornflake crust without having the pie catapult across the room. 

(This recipe was featured in  Heather Spriggs Thompson's premiere issue of her online magazine, "Gatherings."  Treat yourself to a visual feast and hop on over...)

To make this summery treat, we'll start with the crust. 

Melt chocolate, butter and brown sugar together.  

Then pour the mixture over the cornflakes.   

Stir well. 

The sound of the cornflakes being mixed with the chocolate is very relaxing. 

 I expect to hear it on a soundtrack the next time I go in for a massage.

Press the mixture into a pie dish. 

And pop it into the freezer until it has hardened.  

Then fill the hardened crust with softened ice cream.

If you are in Texas, you may be arrested if you don't use Blue Bell Ice Cream.  

Just warning you. 

Vanilla ice cream is always yummy, 

but so are these flavors: coffee, chocolate, or Tin Roof (a Blue Bell flavor) .

Spread the ice cream over the crust. 

And pop it in the freezer until it's firm (20-30 minutes).

The crust is rock-a-licious.  

"Rock-a-licious":  an adjective that pairs well with your finest china.  

Ice Cream Pie
6-8 Servings

7 tablespoons melted butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 ounces unsweetened baking chocolate
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
3 cups corn flakes
1/3 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)
1 1/2 quart ice cream (vanilla, coffee, or chocolate flavors)

In medium saucepan, melt butter, brown sugar, unsweetened chocolate, and chocolate chips over low heat.  Stir constantly until thoroughly mixed and sugar is dissolved.

In large bowl, place cornflakes and nuts.  Pour warm chocolate mixture over the corn flakes, gently stirring until flakes are THOROUGHLY coated.

Spray 9" pie plate with vegetable coating.  Gently press coated flakes into pie plate.  Place in freezer until firm.

Fill frozen chocolate shell with slightly softened ice cream.  Freeze until firm.  Top with fudge sauce, praline sauce, berries, or sliced fruit.

Here's the happy printable.

Recipe from:  The Peach Tree Tea Room Cookbook

Linking up at:

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse

A dreamy, creamy mousse that conjured my finest Nutella memories.

A simple cast of characters:  heavy whipping cream, dark chocolate, Nutella, and Marshmallow Creme.

While I was arranging the ingredients for this photo, I overheard the Ghirardelli and the heavy cream hurling scurrilous insults at the Marshmallow Creme:

"Loser," jeered the chocolate to the defenseless Jet-Puffed sweetness.  "You don't belong here." 

"Yeah," spat the heavy cream.  "Why don't you go find some Cool-Whip to hang out with?  OMG.  You're so beneath us."

With eyes downcast, the Marshmallow Creme pointed to its happy little label:  "But it says right here, 'America's Favorite'."  

The chocolate and heavy cream rolled their eyes in unison.  "As if anyone's label tells the truth. Take your corn syrup and your xanthan gum and get outta here."

The Nutella engaged it's European peacemaking skills and stood in the gap. 

"Why can't we all just try and get along?  Each of our best qualities will complement as they blend into this mousse.  We will be...bellissimo!"

Noses high, backs turned, arms crossed, the heavy cream and the Ghiradelli remained impudent.

"Mamma mia!" exclaimed the Nutella in frustration, throwing its dimply little hands into the air.

But as Italians are prone to do, the Nutella eventually worked its magic and all the ingredients consented to play their necessary role.

Nutella: charming the world one tastebud at a time.

Melt the chocolate with a 1/2 cup of the heavy cream.  

I decided to solve your puzzlement before it even began

and labeled the reflections in the saucepan. 

Oh, mi amore.  

This is the base for ganache, truffles, and fanciful housewife dreams.

Add a 1/2 cup of Nutella to the ganache, 

then add the marshmallow creme. 

A crazy shot, yes, but I am having so much fun with my new tripod.  

I like to call this "Marshmallows in the Mist."

Gently stir in the whipped cream.

Garnish with chocolate curls, if you can wait that long. 
(Run a vegetable peeler along the edge of solid chocolate.)

Bring it home, Ms. Fitzgerald...

"Heaven.  

I'm in heaven.  

And my heart beats so that I can hardly speak
And I seem to find the happiness I seek
When we're out together dancing cheek to cheek..."

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse
(6-8 small servings)

4 ounces unsweetened (or bittersweet) chocolate, chopped
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup Nutella or other hazelnut chocolate spread, at room temperature
1 cup marshmallow fluff
6 tablespoons chopped skinned hazelnuts (optional)
Additional chocolate for garnishing

Set a small bowl over a saucepan of simmering water (or use a double-boiler).  Gently warm the chocolate and the a 1/2 cup of the heavy cream together in the bowl, stirring often until it is nearly melted.  (You can also nuke the mixture for about 45 seconds...just keep an eye on it as it can burn in the microwave.)  Lift the chocolate-cream mixture from the heat and stir until melted and smooth.  (It will thicken.)  Stir in the Nutella and then gently incorporate the marshmallow fluff until just blended.  Refrigerate for a few minutes until cooled.

Whip the remaining 1 cup of cream in a mixer fitted with the whisk attachment.  (Or do it by hand with a whisk, bless your dear little shoulder.)   Gently incorporate the whipped cream into the chocolate hazelnut mixture.  Spoon into individual serving dishes.  Refrigerate if it is a bit runny...it will usually firm up within 10 minutes.   Sprinkle with chopped nuts, if using.  (And/or use a vegetable peeler to make chocolate "curls" with the remaining chocolate.)  Serve immediately.

Here's the printable version. 


Recipe from:  Short and Sweet:  Sophisticated Desserts in 30 Minutes or Less

Linking up at:

Love in the Afternoon...

Chocolate Hazelnut Mousse...

I think I hear angels singing...

Recipe coming as soon as I polish this off...

Put Some Spice in Your Life...

...Or at least in your food.

(But spice in your marriage is also a good thing!)

******************

I wrote this post about a month ago for a guest spot on JustLu.com. (Please go check out Lorene's blog.  She's hysterical; I love her writing style and her sense of humor.)  Recently, I've had several friends ask me about cooking with spice and flavor, so I decided to repost this snippet of info.

******************

Transforming Your Meals from "Blah" to "Ta-Da!!"

Good flavor, whether it's from herbs, spices, or other food items, is essential to good cooking.

Becoming comfortable with flavors in the kitchen is like opening my PJ drawer and pulling out my favorite jammie pants.  I know they will be comfortable.  And how do I know this?  Through experience.  I put them on almost every night, and I have confidence that they will not ride up my rear, cut into my muffin top, or squeeze me like a corset.  The same goes when I'm cooking.  I know, through experience, that certain combinations of flavors will yield comforting results:  lemon + garlic, wine + cheese, Nutella + a spoon on a direct path to my mouth.  Which may be why I have a muffin top.  But I digress.

Experimenting with flavors and getting comfortable with different combinations and strengths will create a very firm foundation for your cooking experience.  

Getting the Most Flavor from Basic Ingredients

So, what are basic ingredients?

They are the things you can easily pick up at the store and/or items that are part of your regularly stocked pantry.  (Here's more information on basic pantry staples or a well-stocked pantry.)

Basic stuff like: 
Pasta
Olive Oil
Lemons
Parsley (fresh or dried)
Roasted Garlic (so easy to make at home)
Red Pepper Flakes
Parmesan Cheese
Freshly Ground Black Pepper*
Kosher Salt

How about we cook up a little dish that easily employs these {flavorful} ingredients?

 

Summer Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Lemon

Or how about making a DELICIOUS sauce to pour over sauteed chicken breasts...from...SCRATCH.  Don't freak out on me here if you're not a regular "from-scratch" person.  You will be dancing a little jig in the kitchen when you sample this delectable delight.

Orange-Rosemary Sauce, will you be mine?

Sauteed Chicken with Orange-Rosemary Sauce

Click here for the tutorial, or scroll down for the recipe.

And how about curry?  It's one of those love-it-or-hate-it spices.

I love it.

Curried Chicken Salad, anyone?

Just take four ingredients (chicken, apples, dried apricots, and green onions), make a curry dressing, mix it all together, and VOILA. 

A healthy, flavorful dinner.

(Here's the tutorial.)

Random Spice Tips:

Switching It Out:  You can successfully substitute dried spices (or herbs) for fresh ones.  Just reduce the amount by about half when applicable.  (Example:  If you're to add two teaspoons of fresh parsley, add about 1 teaspoon of dried parsley.)

And It's How Old?  Herbs and spices do expire, but not necessarily to the point of becoming rotten and rancid.  They will just lose their flavor punch over time.  Do a smell test.  If something that is normally pungent, like cumin, smells rather weak, it might be time to toss it.  Dried herbs, if exposed to moisture, can get moldy, which is really gross.  But generally speaking, I do not switch out my spices every six months as I've heard recommended. 

When To Add It?  To preserve the flavor (and not over-cook it),  I usually add fresh herbs to the pot near the end of the cooking time. 

Freshly Ground Black Pepper:  I'm a huge believer in the noticeable difference between "regular" black pepper and the pepper that is freshly ground.  I use this grinder every single day. 

Kosher Salt:  I use Kosher salt because I love it's texture and it's easy to pinch and toss into my pots as I'm cooking. Chemically, it's the same as finely ground salt.  It's near the regular salt sold at the store.  

Cumin:  I use cumin at least once a week.  We eat a lot of chicken around here, and a generous dash or two always adds just the right umpf to the dish.  I even "doctor" up the boys' mac-n-cheese with it because I want them to get used to different flavors.  No complaints have been lodged to date.

My adoration for cumin is so well known that I received this as a birthday present last week:

My favorite spice from my favorite grocery store:  HEB in Texas.  

I love it that my friends know me so well. 

I could go on and on about spices, flavors and cooking in general.

But my "you're talking way too much" alarm is going off in my head.

So I'll wrap it up now.

Here are a few of the recipes I mentioned above.

Summer Pasta with Roasted Garlic and Lemon

Serves 4-5 

1 pound pasta (I used bow-tie [Farfalle]), cooked according to package instructions

2 heads roasted garlic (this is about 15-20 cloves)

2 tablespoons olive oil

Juice of half a lemon (about 2-3  teaspoons)

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (that's a small handful of leaves); substitute 1 tablespoon dried

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (use more or less if desired)

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Place prepared pasta in a large bowl.  Add remaining ingredients and mix well.  Serve hot or cold.

Sauteed Chicken Breasts with Orange-Rosemary Sauce

Serves 4

3 boneless chicken breasts, skin removed and sliced in half lengthwise

1/2 cup of flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 tablespoons olive oil (divided)

1 large shallot, chopped into thin slices and separated into rings

1 cup orange juice

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons fresh rosemary, minced (or substitute dried rosemary)

2 teaspoons zested orange peel

salt and pepper to taste

To saute the chicken:

Cut chicken breasts in half.  Pound lightly with a mallet and then pat dry with a paper towel.  Mix salt and pepper with the flour.  Place flour mixture on a large plate.  Dredge the meat in the flour (just lightly pat the meat into the flour, coating it on all sides).  Discard flour and set meat aside.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Carefully sprinkle a drop of water in the oil.  If/when it sizzles, the oil is hot enough. 

Add the chicken to the skillet, being mindful to not crowd the pan.  Saute the chicken in two batches if you need to.  But use the same pan to cook both batches of chicken if you will make the sauce.  

Saute chicken about 3-5 minutes on one side.  Then gently "pry" it up from the pan with a large spatula, flip it, and saute it for another 3-5 minutes.  (Don't flip the chicken too soon.)  If you are concerned that the chicken isn't done, cut into a piece.  Once chicken is done, remove it to a clean plate and cover with foil to keep it warm.

To make the sauce:

Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet.  (DO NOT WASH THE PAN OUT AFTER YOU SAUTE THE CHICKEN.)  Saute the shallot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to turn brown, about 4-5 minutes. 

To deglaze the pan, pour in the orange juice.  Then add the mustard, brown sugar, and rosemary.  Increase the heat to medium-high and whisk very well, intentionally scraping up the brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan.  Cook and whisk for 5-7 minutes or so, until the sauce begins to "reduce" and darken in color.  (It will be thick and bubbly.)  Add in the orange peel and cook for a minute more.  Add salt and pepper to taste (be sure to use that tasting spoon!). 

Pour sauce over chicken breasts and serve. 

Recipe adapted from here.


Curried Chicken Salad Wrapped in Swiss Chard
Serves 4-5 as an entree

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breasts, sauteed and diced
4-5 dried apricots, diced (that's about 1/4 cup diced)
1 scallion (green onion), sliced (some of the white part, all of the green part)
1 small firm apple (Fuji, Gala, Granny Smith), cored and diced
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt (you can substitute regular plain yogurt)
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
2-3 teaspoons curry powder (to taste)
2-3 tablespoons cup dry white wine

8-10 large leaves* of Swiss Chard (substitute red or green leaf lettuce, large spinach leaves, pita bread, whole wheat tortillas, flatbread, etc.)

In a large bowl, mix together the chicken, apricots, and scallion.  In a small bowl, mix together the diced apple and the lemon juice.  (This will keep the apple from discoloring and will add flavor to the dish.)  Add the apple to the bowl with the chicken.  Set aside.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade, add the mayonnaise, yogurt, pepper, salt and 2 teaspoons** of the curry powder.  While the ingredients are processing, add the wine a tablespoon at a time until a smooth consistency is obtained.  Taste.  Add another teaspoon of curry powder if desired.

Pour curry dressing over the chicken/apricot mixture and stir to evenly coat.   Spoon the chicken salad onto a leaf and wrap like a burrito.   Serve wraps immediately or refrigerate the chicken salad (unwrapped) for several hours prior to serving to allow the flavors to fully develop. 

* The amount of leaves you will need to wrap the entire recipe depends on how big the leaves are, how large your want the servings to be, etc.  This number is just an estimate.  The swiss chard leaves I used were very small...but they were from my garden and are not the size typically found in stores. 

**You can start with a smaller amount of the curry powder.  Add it a little at a time until you are happy with the taste.