Honeydew and goat cheese level-up these chicken wraps

Like many busy home cooks, I lean on the same core grocery list each week. With life s dizzying pace, it s unrealistic to constantly reinvent the home...

Like many busy home cooks, I lean on the same core grocery list each week. With life’s dizzying pace, it’s unrealistic to constantly reinvent the home menu. But I manage to stay out of a rut by applying a simple principle to everyday meals and snacks: add one unexpected element.

Often, that’s all that it takes to keep things fresh and interesting. I’ll add a few mint leaves to the usual lettuce and tomato on a sandwich, sprinkle toasted sunflower seeds on a spread of hummus, toss a handful of blueberries into a basic green salad - you get the idea.

This recipe started accordingly, as a basic wrap with chicken simply seasoned with salt, pepper and lemon juice and a handful of mixed greens. The unexpected element - juicy slices of honeydew melon. But the sandwich evolved from there to ultimately have multiple intriguing layers. (Sometimes I can’t stop at just one.)

The sweet melon begged for a creamy counterpoint, so I added a schmear of fresh goat cheese stirred with a touch of honey, some lemon zest and enough milk to render it smooth and spreadable. Then, I elevated the greens with a few basil leaves, adding a floral, summery essence.

The resulting sandwich is not much more of a lift than a run-of-the-mill chicken wrap, but with layers of exciting flavors it’s infinitely more crave-worthy.