It's A Wrap!

Wraps and pita's have to be one of our favorite summer time lunches or light suppers, as both can be made without the hot oven on ,and because most ingredients are fresh, they are cool!

Like a pita, you can add just about anything you like to a wrap and get creative with combinations or theme.

I made this one today:

First I chopped up some fresh veggies(green and red peppers, spinach, red onions, tomatoes, and some shredded cheddar:

Meanwhile I was preparing a new batch of Tamari Roasted Chickpeas(link to recipe a few posts down)These are great on just about anything, and add some protein!

To prepare I spread a couple of tablespoons of cream cheese. You can use any kind you like, today I used my favorite onion and chives flavored.

I then layer all the other ingredients onto the cream cheese:

Roll up tightly and cut in half. Enjoy right away, or wrap in plastic wrap and store in fridge or lunch box until ready to enjoy.These make a nice on the go meal as they can be ate on the run. We take these on our hikes often. You can skip the cream cheese and add a salad dressing of your choice. With the chickpeas, Annies Asian Sesame Dressing goes quite well. I wouldn't recommend dressing if you're making these to eat later as they will get soggy, where with the cream cheese, they stay nice all day.

Tamari Roasted Chickpeas!

I found a link on the web of this GREAT recipe, by the author herself. I have posted about these many times here before. These are great on top of salads, soups, in wraps or just to eat plain. Even my picky eaters will eat these like candy. We take them on hikes, and our hiking buddies all love them too!

Go HERE for the recipe and be sure to try them soon! You'll have to scroll down a ways to find them.

Stuffed Pitas

Need a quick meal without heating the kitchen on these hot summer days?(of course it's cold and rainy where I'm at, in JUNE!) Stuffed pitas are the answer!

Get creative and play around a little with your own preferences and likes. Two of my favorites:

Greek I make a dressing in the blender by mixing:

3/4 cup olive oil

juice from one squeezed lemon

1 tablespoon dried oregano

2 cloves garlic crushed

1/2 tablespoons dried basil

salt and pepper to taste

2 1/2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

3 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

2 tsp sugar

I then warm each pita in the microwave for about 30 seconds(I use whole pitas vs. the already split ones. Then I cut about an inch or two off the top and layer in some lettuce(I like green leaf) cucumbers diced, tomatoes diced, kalamata olives pitted and split(about four whole making 8 halves) marinated artichoke hearts, a handful or so of garbanzos for protein, then I pour the dressing on(about 2-3 tablespoons per pita) and top with a little feta cheese. YUM!

I also do an Asian inspired pita, warming and cutting the pita as described above and layering in lettuce, sprouts(bean and alfalfa) tomatoes, shredded carrots, cabbage and the secret to making these really great is Tamari Roasted Chickpeas(recipe from Eat Cook and Be Vegan) then I top with Annies Asian Sesame Salad Dressing.

These are great to take on the go for hiking or picnics or those days you will be on the road. Just save your dressing in a separate container, and perhaps items like tomatoes that may make your pita soggy.

There are dozens of more ways to customize your pitas, you can do egg salad, Italian mixtures and more, have fun and enjoy!

Another "Pocket" Meal

I've shared my Pizza Pockets and Veggie Pasties on different posts, and today I have yet one more tasty pocket meal. I wasn't to sure the kids would like this one because of the broccoli, but they all love it! It also freezes well, and if wrapped in foil while hot and placed in an insulated bag, it could be a good meal on the go idea as well. This isn't my own creation, so here is the link to where I stole it from. Broccoli Calazone.

Veggie Pasties

Growing up my mom used to make the yummiest pasties ever, but they had meat in them, and other than that they only had potatoes, carrots, onions and if I recall correctly, tomatoes. I have been trying to come up with a good veggie recipe for the longest time, unsuccessfully...until I found this site a few weeks back.

This one is my favorite:

Veggie Pasty
Ingredients:
The Crust
2 cups flour
2/3 cups butter (or Crisco)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold water
The Filling
2 1/2 cups peeled, diced potatoes
1 cup finely diced sweet potatoes
1/2 tablespoon oil or butter
1 clove of garlic
1/2 cup diced, cooked mushrooms (about 3/4 cup uncooked)
1 1/2 cups diced broccoli
1 small onion (1/2 cup chopped)
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon season salt
1/2 tablespoon of olive oil
4 oz. cream cheese (1/2 package)
3/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese
1/4 cup milk for moistening and sealing crust
Crust:
Cut butter into flour and salt until it forms pea-size lumps. Add cold water and knead until well-blended. Form into 4 balls and chill in the refrigerator for at least one hour. Roll in to an 8-inch circle. Use plenty of flour while rolling out.
Filling:
In a tablespoon of oil or butter, saute garlic and mushrooms, broccoli, onion, salt, black pepper, and one tablespoon of olive oil in a large bowl.
Construction:
Put 1 1/2 cups of filling on half of the pastry crust. Cut cream cheese block into quarters, and then cut each quarter into 4-5 pieces, and scatter on top of the filling pile. Add a tablespoon or two of shredded cheddar cheese to the top of the filling. Moisten the edges with milk or water, fold over, and pinch to seal. Brush outside lightly with milk. Cut 3-4 slits on the top to vent steam. Put on a lightly-greased cookie sheet, and bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes to an hour, or until the crust is golden brown.

We have had these a few times in the last couple of weeks. They are SO yummy!!

If you wrap these in foil and keep in an insulated bag you can take these on the go with you too!

Fun, Easy, On The Go Meals...

My family has recently taken up hiking as a hobby again. It is a fun, healthy past time, and nothing beats being in nature!

The only two challenges for us have been toting a toddler along, and meals(we like to hike to a destination, eat, and go back) The meals were actually a pretty easy one to solve. For a main course nothing beats the ease of a wrap.

This past weekend I made one by spreading cream cheese over a whole wheat tortilla, then filled with chopped avocado, red onions, red peppers, alfalfa sprouts, shredded cheese, shredded carrots,and fresh spinach, and rolled it all up, sliced in two and wrapped in plastic wrap! Easy, and so yummy! I prefer not to use plastic wrap and opt for re-usable containers most of the time, but these wraps unroll and become messy, the plastic wrap keeps it all together!

Tonite we are going out again after hubby comes home from work. I am going to make wraps again, this time spreading smashed avocado over the tortilla, and filling with black beans, red onions, sprouts, salsa, and a little cheese.

The kids aren't always as thrilled with all the veggies, so I make a few extra with just the spread and cheese, or even PB&J!! You can also spread Almond Butter or other nut butter of your choice and thinly spread some thin sliced bananas, kids seem to like these!

There are no real recipes to these, just use your imagination and get creative! You can use cream cheese, avocado, hummus, or nut butters for your spread, and fill with what ever veggies, legumes or fruits you or your family enjoy!

Next time I will share some of our favorite salad recipes we like to take with us, and show you some of our re-usable storage containers!