Spiced Moroccan Chicken Wrap

I stumbled upon this recipe on one of my late night Pinterest runs.  I made a few changes to the original recipe, which can be found at thecozyapron.com.  I'm a big fan of Middle Eastern and North African flavors and was very excited to find a recipe that had so many delicious things going for it:  hummus, eggplant, and spiced grilled chicken.  When I saw the eggplant in my CSA bag I knew that this was a must do...quickly!

Ingredients

2 skinless & boneless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size chunks
• Olive oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
2 cloves garlic pressed through garlic press
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon lemon juice
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon turmeric
• Pinch cayenne pepper
4 wooden skewers
• Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney (recipe below)
• Spicy Hummus Spread(recipe below)
4 pieces Middle Eastern flatbread, or pita

Preparation:

-Place the chunks of chicken into a bowl, and add about 1-2 tablespoons of the olive oil; next, add a couple of pinches of salt and black pepper, and the rest of the ingredients through the pinch of cayenne pepper; toss the ingredients well to coat, and skewer the chicken pieces as equally as possible with the 4 wooden skewers; set the chicken aside to marinate for 20-30 minutes, or even overnight if you’re doing this ahead.
-While the chicken marinates, prepare the Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney (recipe below).
-Next, prepare the Spicy Hummus Spread (recipe below).
-Grill the chicken skewers on a grill pan or outdoor grill for a few minutes per side, or until the chicken is slightly charred and cooked through; place onto a platter to hold.
-To assemble to sandwich wraps, spread a generous amount of the Spicy Hummus Spread over each of the 4 pieces of flatbread; next, slide the chicken pieces off of the skewer in a row in the center of each wrap (1 skewer per wrap), and top the chicken with a couple of spoonfuls of the Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney; bring the two sides of the flatbread together, and secure with toothpicks if needed, or wrap in parchment paper to hold the wrap together while you enjoy. (I also added a healthy sprinkle of golden raisins and toasted pine nuts to the wrap.  It was a very good decision, adding both texture and concentrated bursts of flavor!)

Eggplant, Tomato & Onion Chutney 

Ingredients:
• Olive oil
1 small onion, quartered and sliced
• Salt
• Black pepper
2 small Japanese eggplants, or 1 very small “globe” eggplant, diced into small pieces (about 1 ½ cups worth)
3 Roma tomatoes, diced into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, pressed through garlic press
1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
½ teaspoon lemon juice (I used sherry vinegar here)

Preparation:
-Place a large, non-stick skillet over medium-high heat, and add in about 3 tablespoons of the olive oil; once the oil is hot, add in the sliced onions, plus a pinch of salt and pepper, and saute for about 5-6 minutes until a light, golden-brown.
-Next, add in the diced eggplant, plus a pinch of salt, and saute it with the onion for about 2-3 minutes, or until a light golden-brown and slightly tender (add more olive oil if the mixture seems dry).
-Next, add in the diced Roma tomatoes, plus another small pinch of salt and pepper, and saute the mixture for about 8 minutes, or until everything begins to break down and resemble a “jam” or a chutney, and is a deeper golden-brown.
-Finally, add in the garlic, and saute for an additional 2 minutes; finish the chutney with the lemon juice and the fresh mint, plus another drizzle of olive oil to make it glossy and rich, and check to see if additional salt and pepper is necessary; set aside and keep warm until ready to use.

Spicy Hummus Spread 

 Ingredients:
 1 (15 oz) can garbanzo beans, drained (reserve juice)
1 clove of garlic
1 ½ tablespoons of lemon juice
½ teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon plus a pinch salt
¼ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon paprika
Pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon olive oil

Preparation:
-Place lemon juice and 1/4 C olive oil into the food processor.  Emulsify the liquids together until frothy. (This is the step that results in creamy and fluffy hummus like you get at a restaurant.)  Add the garlic, lemon zest, remaining olive oil and spices along with a small portion of the chickpeas to the food processor.  Continue to blend ingredients constantly, adding the remaining chickpeas to the bowl in small amounts.  Once all ingredients are blended, add juice from the chickpeas in a slow stream until desired consistency is reached.