Chicken Salad Pitas

I have a sweet memory of eating these pitas. Husband and I spent a day at the Denver Zoo. I wanted to avoid spending tons of money on Zoo food so I made these in advance and packed a picnic lunch for us. We had lunch under a big tree in from of the Natural History Museum, which is next door to the Zoo. It was a great get-away from us – one of those “explore your town” type of outings.

I usually don’t boil my chicken in the make shift stock. I sometimes will cook up a large batch of chicken if I know I will be in need of cooked chicken for several meals. I can store the cooked chicken in the freezer or in the fridge for a few days. Doing this saves me time and energy.

I like to throw extra lettuce in. I don’t think one leaf is enough for me. I also add in the small bit of mandarin oranges that are left in the can. It’s not too many oranges so it doesn’t change the filling very much.

3 stalks celery, 1 coarsely chopped and 2 thinly sliced

1 medium sweet yellow onion, coarsely chopped

1 carrot, coarsely chopped

2 sprigs fresh thyme

1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more for seasoning

2 (12 ounces total) boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Freshly ground pepper

1/2 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1 cup (from one 11-ounce can) canned mandarin orange segments

8 (6 or 8 inch) pita breads

8 lettuce leaves

Bring 2 cups water, chopped celery, onion, carrot, thyme, and salt to a boil in a medium saucepan. Reduce heat to a simmer. Add chicken; cover and simmer until cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a bowl; let cool, then shred with two forks. Discard contents of pan.

Stir together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and mustard in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in chicken, sliced celery, and almonds. Gently fold in orange segments.

Cut 1 inch from top of each pita to open pocket. Fill each pita with 1 lettuce leaf and 1/2 cup chicken salad.

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