Oh Go Fly a Kite

Today is both Iowa Day and Fly a Kite Day. I have such warm memories of flying kites as a kid. Back then a kite cost a whopping twenty-five cents. The tail was made from torn strips of old clothing tied together, and the string was wrapped around a stick.

I can remember my Dad getting our kites up, one child at a time, and we all stood there together watching our prized kite take to the skies. Every kid in the neighborhood was out flying kites. We didn’t need anything fancy. And it really wasn’t about competition or impressing someone. It was just being outside and imagining the wind in our sails – uplifting the human spirit. It’s sad that simple joys no longer exist and the lives of our children are so calculated, organized and orchestrated.

I have watched my youngest sister and her husband spend every waking moment car-pooling to this sporting even or that competition. When I was a kid, my brother played baseball in the spring. He was a cub scout. My sisters and I were in girl scouts. Scouts met at the school, a short walk from home. That was it. We had a lot of free time to do things like ride our bikes and catch butterflies and fish in the creek and even catch pollywogs.

It’s sad that our children don’t have the same freedoms we once did. But then again, we live in a very different time.

This recipe is an updated version of a family favorite. Way back in November 2018 I shared my Spicy Buffalo Garden Chicken Wrap recipe with you. Back then I used Foster Farms Buffalo Chicken for the wraps. Theirs was spicy and super convenient. It also wasn’t very expensive. With the way food prices have been going the last 4 years, convenience is now a luxury. Besides, by making our own Buffalo Chicken Strips we’re creating a wrap that is just a bit less processed, and therefore a bit more healthy. Besides, Costco had a special on Chicken Tenderloins recently, so we stocked up. If you can, get yourself a nice freezer to take advantage of specials. During Lent, most markets offer specials on fish and seafood. When the markets offer special deals to get you in the door, that’s the time to stock up. Too bad eggs can’t be frozen. The prices here are just insane. What about where you are? Maybe it’s time to think about laying chickens.

Where was I before I wandered off – oh yeah, Buffalo Chicken Wraps. Part of what makes this wrap work so well is the vegetable salad that is part of the wrap. The chicken is both hot (as in just cooked) and spicy, wrapped in a tortilla with a crisp, cool salad. It’s a winning combination all the way around. Enjoy!

Buffalo Chicken and Garden Salad Wraps
Garden Salad
5 Red Leaf Lettuce Leaves
2 Roma Tomatoes
1/2 Cucumber
1/2 Red Onion
1/4 cup Parsley
1/2 tablespoons Salt
1 tablespoon Lemon Juice
1/2 tablespoon Olive Oil
1/2 cup Sour Cream

Tear lettuce leaves into small pieces, scatter in a mixing bowl. Cop tomatoes in to pieces, scatter over the lettuce. Peel and dice cucumber, add to the lettuce mix. Peel and thinly slice onion, scatter over the lettuce. Finely snip parsley, add to the salad. Season with salt, toss and set aside.

In a small bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil and sour cream. Pour dressing mixture over the garden salad, stir to blend and coat well. Chill until ready to assemble wraps.

Buffalo Chicken
2 large boneless Chicken Breast or 1 lb Tenderloins
1 tablespoon Black Pepper
1/2 teaspoon Cayenne Pepper or to taste
1 cup Flour
2 Eggs
1/2 tablespoon Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Oil for Frying
2 tablespoons Butter
1 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
Olive Oil as needed
8 Flour Tortillas

Cut chicken breasts into thirds to create strips. Set aside.

Note: If you are using Chicken Tenderloins as I did, simply cut the largers pieces to be more uniformed with the rest. Either way works great.

Mix black pepper and Cayenne into the flour in a shallow bowl or pie tin. Whip eggs until pale. Pour into another shallow bowl or pie tin. Whisk in about 1/2 tablespoon or so of the Hot Sauce for extra heat. Drag chicken strips through the eggs, shaking off excess. Dredge chicken in the seasoned flour, shaking again. Lay chicken on a wire rack for the coating to adhere wile the oven warms and the oil heats.

Heat oven to 375-degrees. Heat about half an inch of oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.

Carefully place half the chicken strips in the skillet. Fry chicken for about 4 minutes per side. Lay on paper towels to drain, then place fried chicken strips in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining chicken.

Melt butter, whisk in a bowl with Red Sauce. Pour sauce mixture over the chicken strips. Turn several times to coat. Cover with foil, place in the heated oven to bake for about 20 minutes.

To Assemble and Serve
While the chicken bakes, warm tortillas. Bursh tortillas with olive oil, heat in a flat skillet and keep warm.

When ready to assemble, lay tortilla out on a work surface. Place a chicken strip in the center of the tortilla. Top with garden salad. Fold in one end, then fold over, swaddling the chicken and salad together in the wrap. Serve and enjoy.

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Through Jesus, let us continually offer God a sacrifice of praise,
That is, the fruit of lips that confess His name
Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have;
God is pleased by the sacrifices of that kind
Hebrews 13:15-16