Curried Chicken Salad Wrap

Now that I'm grown, with children of my own, I've realized that the majority of my self-care is actually very basic care. If I skip meals, forget to move my body, or don't drink water all day it is very hard to function. Let alone function with small children chattering away at you! Lunch is probably the easiest meal for me to forget about, or skip if I am not prepared in advance. Typically I like to eat leftovers for lunch, so I always make extra of dinner with that in mind; but, it doesn't always work out that easily. If something isn't readily available for me to grab quickly for lunch, I need it to be fairly easy to whip up and hopefully provide leftovers for the next day, or else I won't eat and I'll almost definitely be crabby and riddled with anxiety. I love this chicken salad recipe for that reason! It can be made in a large batch, and stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. It can be scooped over a salad, scooped up with chopped veggies, or wrapped in lettuce like I'm going to tell you how to do! Head over to my instagram for a video how-to on the lettuce wraps.

There's also another option: spread on a baguette. This was the real inspiration for this recipe. A delightful French restaurant in my hometown used to serve a curried chicken salad on a baguette and it was one of my favorite things. I also used to think I was so sophisticated choosing to eat that. My flavor palette has expanded even more with age, my 16 year old self would be so impressed.

• You can make this recipe "kitchen sink style," if you don't like apples or carrots (or are allergic to raw apples and carrots, like my husband) than swap it out with what you like or have on hand! I think grated fresh pineapple could be fantastic in this, or even the addition of grapes, or some dried fruits like golden raisins!

• You could also toy around with the herbs. I've used mint here, because it's my favorite in this salad, but basil would be great or even some cilantro.

• For almost all cooking, I always like to use the lemon zest and the lemon juice together as it adds more nutrition and a really great lemon flavor. Adding the lemon at the end just highlights everything else in the dish.

I think part of the beauty of cooking is learning your flavor preferences and being able to make swaps on the fly based off of what you have or want to use up from your kitchen. Sometimes you end up with something weird, but I will tell you that it's usually still edible, and you'll always learn something.

I hope this recipe makes your lunches easier this week!

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