A few words on shortcuts

I’m not going to lie-- sometimes, I cheat. In the kitchen that is. Whether it’s having a third (okay, fourth) helping of toast & jam (or vegemite) or it’s using a boxed cake mix as the base for my chocolate Kahlua cake (recipe coming soon). I’m not a stranger to lean cuisines either (chicken parm is my favorite) because let’s face it—as wonderful and enjoyable as cooking is for me, sometimes there are far too many things on your to-do list and pretending to be Julia Child is not one of them. However, knowing that I won’t have the time every single day forces me to be creative and efficient…think of it as a Top Chef Elimination Round over lunch. Here’s one of my new favorite creations that’s sure to break you out of your turkey and cheese sandwich rut. And with a couple of shortcuts, it’s almost as simple to make. 

Mediterranean Veggie Wraps:

Serves 1

Red & Orange Bell Peppers, roasted and sliced
Green or Red Lettuce, washed and drained
English Cucumbers, seeded and sliced length-wise
Red onion, sliced
cherry tomatoes, halved
*2 Falafel patties
*2 Tablespoons Hummus
*2 Tablespoons Tzatziki
1 Spinach tortilla

For the Roasted Bell Peppers:

1. Pre-Heat your oven to 450°F. Cover a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
2. While the oven is pre-heating, wash, core, and slice two large bell peppers.
3. Place the strips of bell peppers in a bowl and drizzle a little less than 1 tablespoon of olive oil into the bowl. Sprinkle in ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon black pepper.
4. Use your [washed] hands to mix and coat the peppers with oil and seasonings.
5. Empty the bowl onto the foil covered baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the 400° oven. Roast the bell peppers for 15 minutes or until you see some of the strips starting to char.
6. Remove the peppers from the oven, and allow them to cool.

To assemble the wraps:

1. On a cutting board, lay down a tortilla. Spoon on some hummus and spread over the entire tortilla. Place the lettuce on half of the tortilla (preferably the half closest to you).
2. Arrange the bell peppers, red onion, cherry tomatoes, and cucumber on top of the lettuce (keeping all of the solid ingredients on one side of the tortilla).
3. Spoon the tzatziki on top of the other veggies.
4. Slice each falafel patty in half and place them down the length of the tortilla (on the same side as the rest of the solid ingredients).
5. Slowly, wrap the tortilla up tightly.
6. Place three to four tooth picks in the seam of your wrap. Using a large knife, slice the wrap in half at a diagonal.
7. Enjoy!

   

   Photo Credits: Me

*You will see the homemade recipes for these ingredients on KiwiConfections soon, but the store-bought versions seen in the picture above work just as a great when time is limited!

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