Potato Asparagus Chicken Pesto Tortillas

Now if that sounds like a mouthful, it is. I came across a recipe for asparagus that looked interesting the other day and, as is my wont changed it to suit myself. I suppose most recipes come about like this – trying a variation of something somebody else suggested.

The main thing I was doing was looking for something I hadn’t tried before and this was the end result. Asparagus is either ludicrously expensive or ridiculously cheap where I live – depending if it is in season or not.

It is in season and really cheap at the moment, so I was looking for an Asparagus recipe that was a little different. I did not really bother measuring anything for this recipe, but this made 4 portions. The basic ingredients are:

• 2 large flour Tortillas
• 2 small chicken breasts
• A large handful of Asparagus
• 3 small potatoes cut into bite sized cubes
• Half a cup of plain pesto
• A cup of grated cheese – 1/3 rd Parmesan, 2/3 rds cheddar
• Olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste

First job – peel and chop the potatoes into small cubes. Place them in a pot and boil until almost, but not quite cooked. You don’t want them falling apart, so still firm.

While the potatoes are boiling, cut the chicken breasts into similar sized pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper, heat a table spoon of olive oil in a skillet and cook the chicken until it is turning brown. I prefer to use a cast iron skillet and have several.

Next, cut the asparagus to the width of your Tortilla and discard the bottom parts. When the chicken is almost cooked, add the asparagus and pour the pesto over.

By this time, the potatoes should be ready. Drain them and add to the skillet, making sure everything is covered in pesto. Take the skillet off the heat and put to one side. In another skillet heat a small amount of olive oil and cook the tortilla until it is going crispy. Take the tortilla out and add the other one (if you only have one, take the chicken, pesto and asparagus out and leave in a bowl or something.)

When the tortilla is going crispy, turn it over, add the chicken, potato asparagus mix and spread out over the tortilla. Sprinkle the cheese over and put the other tortilla back on top. Cover and cook for about 4 minutes to melt the cheese. I served this with fresh salad, a dollop of crème fraiche and a few drops of Tabasco.

If you are a vegetarian, leave the chicken out. I used fresh chicken for this, but leftovers would work well.

Bon Apetit !