chicken thai wraps

I was asked to teach the Young Women in my church to learn to cook for one of their weekly activities. As I thought about what I was going to do, I was stumped for several days. I knew that I wanted each of them to have the opportunity to have a knife in hand and actually do work, not just watch. I wanted to teach a variety of cooking techniques and be able to give them assignments in order to get some hands-on experience since some of them have never cooked before. I knew that we had to make something that they would want to make again and it had to vegetarian friendly but also non-vegetarian friendly. And I wanted it to taste good (imagine that)!

As I searched through my recipes, I remembered these Chicken Thai Wraps. I made these often when I was in college but I hadn't made them for several years. As I read through the recipe it occurred to me that this was perfect! I would be able to divvy up the chopping (there's a lot of it) so that each girl will get a chance to learn how to chop, slice and shred. I would be able to teach them broiling, sauteing, making a sauce and steaming rice - all things that are a part of my daily or weekly cooking regimen. The girls had a great time and I think they learned a lot . . . and they all enjoyed eating them too!

Rub:

4 chicken breasts, rinsed and patted dry
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to broil and put rack on the top shelf. Rub the chicken with the spices and place on a broiler sheet. Broil for 12 minutes until chicken is cooked through. Let stand for 5 minutes and then cut into thin strips. Wrap in tin foil while the rest of the ingredients cook.

Vegetable Filling:
1 red onion, finely chopped
1 cup cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup carrots, finely shredded
4 green onions, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tablespoons canola oil
* you can also food process ingredients until finely chopped.

Heat oil over medium high heat and stir-fry vegetables until tender (about 5 minutes).

Peanut Sauce:
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1/4 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tablespoons water
2 Tablespoons canola oil

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan. Let simmer, while stirring often, to allow sugar to dissolve. Set aside until ready to assemble.

Other Items:
3 cups Calrose or short-grain rice, cooked
4 large (10 - 12 inches) flour tortillas, warmed

To assemble:
Fill one warm tortilla with rice, chicken strips, vegetable filling and drizzle with sauce. Roll up and enjoy! (Serves 4)