*Feast's Chicken Roll-Up made with deli roasted chicken*

This pretty rolled sandwich is truly lunch in your hand! Perennially popular at the cafe, you have options when making them at home. Use deli chicken or turkey, left-over grilled or roasted chicken, or make it vegetarian by replacing the chicken with grated carrot, sprouts, or any other favorite veggies. The chicken gets rolled into a tortilla along with a creamy cheese and green onion spread, little tomatoes, thin slices of cucumber, and baby spinach, a lovely medley of flavors and textures. They can be made the night before (they hold together better if they are refrigerated a few hours before eating) and tucked into brown bag lunches or taken on a picnic Take these on your next big adventure!

12 ounces cream cheese, softened .

2 Tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard

3 ounces shredded Cheddar or Co-Jack cheese

1/4 cup thinly-sliced green onions

6 10-inch tortillas, plain, whole-grain, spinach or red pepper

24 ounces cooked chicken, shredded, or sliced deli chicken or turkey

18 cherry tomatoes, halved

6 cups baby spinach leaves

30 thin slices of cucumber

Combine the cream cheese and mustard in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Add the cheese and onions and pulse until well combined. (Alternately, mix by hand with a fork in a medium bowl.)

Warm tortillas slightly to soften in a large skillet or over the open flame of a gas range prior to assembling. Spread 1/6 of the cheese over the tortilla, top with a 4 ounce portion of the chicken, 6 cherry tomato halves, 1 cup spinach leaves, and 5 slices of cucumber. Fold and roll up as for a burrito.

Securely wrap each sandwich in a sheet of deli paper or waxed paper and cut in half on the diagonal. Serve immediately, or wrap each tightly in plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator for up to 8 hours. Consume withing 24 hours of making.

***Chicken Fricasee with Spring Vegetables***

Braising is one of my favorite cooking methods, and chicken thighs respond beautifully to braising. I've braised chicken many ways, but I recently came upon this Epicurious recipe that incorporated spring vegetables, perfect for a spring dinner! This is now one of our favorite dishes. One note, though, is to use young chicken thighs; I tried to use really large thighs and the stringy, tough results were not appealing. Serves 4

8 skinless, bone-in chicken thighs (about 4 lb.)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
3/4 teaspoon black pepper, divided
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (8-oz.) package cremini mushrooms, cleaned and quartered
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut diagonally into 1/2-inch-thick slices (about 2 cups)
1 cup coarsely chopped leek, white and pale green parts only, from 1 medium leek
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream
8 ounces asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces (about 1 cup)
Hot cooked egg noodles
chopped fresh chives

Pat chicken dry, and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of the salt and 1⁄2 teaspoon of the pepper. Place flour in a large plastic freezer bag; add chicken to bag. Seal bag, and toss to coat with flour. Heat oil in a 12-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high. Remove chicken from bag, reserving flour in bag. Shake excess flour mixture from chicken, and place, bone side up, in skillet. Cook chicken until deep golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate, and keep warm.
Add mushrooms to hot drippings in skillet; cook, stirring often, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add carrots and leek; cook about 3 minutes. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved flour; cook, stirring constantly, about 1 minute. Add chicken stock and wine; cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens slightly, about 6 minutes. Stir in cream and remaining 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper; add chicken, bone side down, nestling chicken into sauce mixture.
Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and cook until sauce has thickened slightly and chicken is almost cooked through, about 15 minutes. Uncover and sprinkle with asparagus. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through and asparagus is tender-crisp, about 10 minutes.
Serve chicken, vegetables, and sauce over hot cooked noodles, and garnish with chives, if desired.