Naudette Mukoni
Independence is a big deal, and something university students learn very quickly is that money rarely stays in your bank account. With food, transportation, study supplies and textbooks, things can get hairy very quickly. Luckily, PDBY is here to help you with a simple and easy meal to add to your collection of recipes, helping you worry less about food and more about your studies.
Dish of the Week: Chicken Wrap
This week’s student-friendly meal is a quick and easy chicken wrap, and the preparation will not eat into your precious studying time. Certain ingredients can be changed to cater to whatever you have in your fridge, and it can also be made vegetarian-friendly.
Ingredients (for one serving)
- 1 tortilla (R39.99 for a pack of five)
- 1 chicken breast (R78.99 per kg) Vegetarian alternatives: tofu (R55), chickpeas (R36.99)
- A handful of iceberg lettuce (R19.99)
- 1 tomato (R39.99 for a 2 kg bag)
- 1 avocado (R54.99 for two)
- A handful of grated cheddar cheese (R57.99 for 230g) Total cost: R281
This recipe calls for a tortilla and some shredded leftover chicken, which can be cooked in any way you like, be it grilled, oven-baked or pan-fried, as long as it is shredded. If you choose boiling, cover the chicken breast completely with water and bring to a boil. The thickness of the chicken breast will determine the cooking length, but it is usually between four to ten minutes.
Place the chicken on a plate, and use two forks to separate and shred the meat. Swapping out the chicken for some delicious chickpeas or crumbed tofu creates an equally yummy dish for vegetarian students.
A handful of iceberg lettuce, juicy tomatoes, some sliced avocado, and an overwhelming amount of cheddar cheese creates the perfect combo to add to your wrap. Not only will it please your taste buds, but your body will thank you for all those added vegetables. Now for sauces: anything goes, but a mixture of your favourite hot sauce with a spoon of mayonnaise creates creamy, tangy, spicy perfection.
A tip from a learned professional: when assembling your wrap, make sure to spread a good amount of the sauce on your tortilla, as it acts as a glue that keeps all the goodness in place. Also, throwing your wrap in a pan can help seal it up and add that smoky char flavour.
Now you have a delicious chicken wrap whipped up in minutes. Bon appetit!