Chicken Salad Pita Sandwiches with Lemon, Dill, & Pancetta

The last few weeks have been full of: cold but sunny blue skies, blooming cherry blossom trees, pouring rain, hail, and snow. The glimpse of clear-skied weather on the horizon, paired with an even more soggy dreary grey, has me longing for spring and summer so hard. I miss sitting on a patio, sipping a cool crisp white or rose as the sun sets. I miss using the grill and watching things grow in my garden bed. I miss jogging outside with bare arms. I miss sun ripened berries and stone fruits. Deargod I miss nectarines.


How glorious does a picnic sound right now? Like a lazy, warm, afternoon picnic in a park, with a summery wine and a fresh, bright tasting sandwich, a few good friends or just a good book. SIGH. I�m so over winter right now.

These chicken salad pita sandwiches are inspired by a sandwich I like at a spot near my office. Shredded roasted chicken is tossed in a tangy, lemony dressing, with briny capers, lots of fresh dill, and crunchy, salty pancetta, then rolled up in pita pocket with tangy Havarti and crispy peppery greens. This sandwich feels like sun and spring, even if your picnic is actually inside, in front of the fireplace.

Chicken Salad Pita Sandwiches with Lemon, Dill, & Pancetta

Makes 2 big sandwiches, 4 halves

8 thin slices of pancetta (you can usually get  at the deli counter�if you can�t find it, then  use 4 slices of regular bacon) 5 oz cr�me fraiche (approx. � cup plus  two tablespoons�the kind I buy comes  in a 5oz cup) 1 tablespoon mayonnaise Juice from 1/2 lemon (approx. 1  overflowing tablespoon) Heaping tablespoon fresh dill, chopped 2 tablespoons capers, plus splash of their brine/juice 1 tablespoon finely diced red onion 2 cups shredded, roasted chicken (already cooked, I used a store bought  rotisserie chicken) Salt and black pepper, to taste 2-4 slices Havarti cheese Handful of fresh greens (I prefer the  peppery bite of arugula/spinach mix) 2 pita pockets

First, cook pancetta in a skillet over medium heat, similar to how you cook bacon, until it�s crispy. Drain on a paper towel, set aside, and crumble once cool. In the bottom of a medium-large bowl, whisk together cr�me fraiche, mayo, lemon juice, and dill. Stir in capers (with splash of juice) and onions. Add pancetta crumbles and chicken, and toss to coat. Add salt and pepper to taste (as well as more lemon or dill, as you wish). Heat each pita pocket about 10-15 seconds in the microwave, until it�s pliable. I like to make pita pocket wraps� to do that, you slice open the top seam of the pita, fill it, and roll it into itself. You can learn how on the internet. You can also just cut in half and stuff each half. First, put in 1-2 slices of havarti, depending on how much cheese you like, then a couple scoops of the chicken salad, a pile of the greens, and roll it up. Cut in half to serve.

A Dinner with DRY + Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary

I did something fun and rad and I've been keeping it a secret! Picture this: a bunch of your favorite people, a sunny warm spring evening, twinkly candles, and vases full of colorful flowers. A record playing lightly in the background, a well-rounded cocktail in one hand, a crostini in the other, and an enormous cheese plate in front of you. This is basically the PERFECT evening for me. You guys, I am SO almost 30. And I love it.


As you may remember, one of my goals for this year was to do more entertaining (and keep my house clean�because I�m almost 30. It�s about time). I had the perfect opportunity (for both) recently when I collaborated with DRY Soda on a spring dinner party! DRY is a local Seattle-based company that makes sparkling beverages worthy of gourmet food pairing and premium mixology. They have ten crisp, fun, unique flavors, �inspired by art, fashion & foodies.� I like art, I wish I had fashion sense, and I love food! Perfect match! So, I invited a bunch of my friends over to help ring in spring! Some folks from DRY joined (including their CEO and founder! AH!), to teach us how to make amazing DRY cocktails (like this one and this one), the talented Brittany Wright captured the event on camera, and I made a menu paired with DRY's fizzy flavors. 

First: For starters, we had a cheese plate and a crostini. For cheese plates, a good rule of thumb is to have at least one aged, one soft, and one firm cheese. And then I like to throw in one blue (Humboldt Fog is my favorite). I really, really like cheese. You can go two routes with a cheese plate: charcuterie, or not charcuterie. I decided to pair this cheese plate with DRY's light floral lavender flavor, so I went the not charcuterie route, which includes fruits (in this case, blackberries and figs), honey, nuts (candied walnuts and marcona almonds), and something herbaceous or floral (Lavender DRY and, fresh rosemary, and rosemary crackers). I could live off that cheese plate. I�m still dreaming about it.

For the crostini, I wanted something bright and springy, so I made a minty pea pesto, similar to this one, and served it with ricotta on little toasty bread rounds. We paired these little bites with Cucumber DRY. Cucumber and mint are such a classic, refreshing combo! This is also a good make ahead option: the pesto keeps in the fridge overnight and you can top the crostini just before serving. Just note that it is the brightest green when it�s fresh.  

Second: Next up, I made a salad with butter lettuce, avocado, red onion, pistachios, chevre, and a citrusy-mustard vinaigrette, which I paired with Blood Orange DRY. I love this type of salad with orange segments mixed in, so this time I just put the oranges in your glass instead of your plate! 

Main: For the entr�e, I made lemony roasted chicken thighs with garlic and rosemary, served with roasted thyme fingerling potatoes and fennel, and paired with my favorite DRY flavor: Juniper Berry! You guys. This chicken! If you can find the full thigh-leg pieces, get those, because they�re super impressive looking. If not, go with thighs and legs/drumsticks. This chicken is so tender and flavorful. My secret is to over-cook it. I�m not even lying. Everyone talks about overcooked, dried out chicken all the time, but I think the biggest mistakes people make with chicken is undercooking (I think it gets weirdly rubbery at that stage) and under-seasoning. This sauce is so juicy that it keeps the chicken moist even at a higher temp for a longer time. Just check often, as my oven might not run as hot as yours! It�s so good!


Dessert: To round out the night, we had the easiest (and most appropriately soda-themed) dinner party dessert ever: an ice cream float bar! I put out vanilla, ginger, coffee and coconut ice cream, to be mixed and matched with Rhubarb and Vanilla DRY. My favorite combo was ginger ice cream + Rhubarb DRY! Tart, sweet, and a little spicy!

Read more about our dinner party over at DRY, and get some of their fun sparkles for your next shin dig� you can do such cool cocktails and food pairings with them, or just sip �em straight up! 

Lemony Roasted Chicken Legs with Garlic and Rosemary
Inspired by this recipe and this recipe

4 full bone-in chicken legs (thigh and drumstick) OR 8 bone-in chicken thighs (or a combo of both)
Salt & Fresh ground pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
2 lemons (one juiced, one not)
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary, removed from stem and chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1.5 large shallot, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

If the chicken has skin on, I like to remove it, but it�s up to you. Pat the chicken DRY, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Arrange chicken in a baking dish so that the pieces are touching.

Stir together olive oil, juice from one of the lemons, rosemary, garlic, shallot, and about 1.5 teaspoons of salt. Pour over chicken.

Slice 1/2 of the remaining lemon in thin slices (keep the peel on), then cut those into small wedges, and arrange over the top of the chicken. Set the remaining 1/2 aside.

Roast for 25-30 minutes, baste with the juices, then roast another 25-30 minutes, checking every once in a while. Once your chicken is fully cooked through, but not quite falling-off-the-bone tender, baste it one more time (you can even just flip the pieces), and then crank the heat to 425. Roast another 10 to 15 minutes (checking to make sure you�re not burning it). You want the chicken to be crispy on the outside, but tender enough that it practically falls of the bone when you try to lift it out of the dish.

Just before serving, while chicken is hot, douse with juice from remaining lemon half, a sprinkle of flaked sea salt, and fresh black pepper. Serve with a rosemary spring for cuteness.

Note: Beverages and ingredients for this dinner party were provided by DRY, but all opinions are my own. Photos in this post by Brittany Wright, provided by DRY. 

Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

I love to walk. My mom is a walker too. As long as I can remember, Mel has walked 2-4 miles every day, up and down the wooded country road I grew up on. When we were kids, Amanda and I went with her. I would inevitably fall and scrape my knees, which often led to me fainting right there on the side of the road. In addition to being a walker, I�m a fainter.

My family also went on evening strolls after dinner�up the street a mile, then back down a mile. Sometimes I stopped a few yards before the turn-around spot, and waited. Then, when they got to me, I pretended I was an orphan, and that they found me on the road and were adopting me. I watched a lot of All Dogs Go to Heaven and Annie.

Seattle is a small city, and you can easily go from one end of downtown to the other on foot. I�ve done it plenty of times. I walk from my office to the gym, from my doorstep to the farmer�s market. I have a car and a bus pass, but I just prefer to get around on foot.

Lately, with the cherry blossoms blooming like crazy, the temperatures rising, and the sun staying out later and later each evening, I have a strong desire to just get out there and walk. Not to go anywhere in particular, but just to walk. To take in the fresh air and give my computer-strained eyes a break.

I can usually bribe Evan with snack-stops, but he prefers walks that have a destination in mind (I mean, what he actually prefers is driving). The other day, I tricked him into walking across town to my favorite grocery store and back. The sunny walk and the store�s bountiful produce inspired me to make this springy salad with buttery bibb lettuce, red onions, creamy avocados, juicy oranges, umami filled dressing, feta for tang, and almonds for crunch.

Evan, the non-salad lover, even asked for seconds. Maybe it was all that fresh air. I�ll give partial credit to the walk, but you can taste this salad and decide for yourself!

Avocado & Orange Salad with Sesame Soy Dressing

Serves 2

Dressing

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1/2 tablespoon mustard (I use spicy brown)

juice from 1/2 lemon

1 teaspoon olive oil 

salt & pepper

Mix ingredients together (either shake in a jar, or whisk in a bowl). 

Salad

1/2 head bibb lettuce, torn into largish bite size pieces

1 orange, peeled and cut into bit size chunks

1 tablespoon diced red onion
Dressing (recipe above)

1 avocado, sliced

1/4 cup almonds, roughly chopped

1/4 cup feta

Fresh ground pepper

Put lettuce, orange, and onion in a bowl, and toss with about half the dressing. Arrange on plates or a platter, and top with avocado slices, almonds, feta, fresh ground pepper, and if desired, more dressing. Note: wait til just before serving to toss dressing with lettuce, to avoid soggy salad.