This Week in Yum: Wrap It Up

It’s no secret that I am in love with burritos. So, whenever I have the opportunity to include some type of wrapped deliciousness into my meal, I’m game. While burritos are my number one love, I really enjoy wraps of all forms. When looking back on the past few weeks of meals I’ve created, I realized that there have been quite a few versions of wraps – some more traditional than others, but all of them take on that tuck and roll form.

First up was using collard greens as a replacement wrapper. I’ve only ever thought of collard greens in a slow cooked format to be served with black eyed peas, but I’m happy to report collards are in fact a perfect wrapping vehicle. For this particular version, I sauteed some typical “burrito” fillers, and steamed the big collard green leaves for about 20 seconds. It was so incredibly easy that I can’t wait to get my hands on some more collard greens to try a different filling.

I’ve made “egg rolls” before, but went with either a traditional Asian theme, or a Southwestern twist. This time I was trying to use up some falafel mix I had in the pantry, and figured I would give falafel egg rolls a try. I don’t know how I thought of it (I haven’t found a recipe for it yet), but am glad I followed through on this one. All I did was prepare the falfel according to the package, except instead of shaping them into balls I formed them more like logs so they’d fit in the wrappers. I filled each wrapper with a tablespoon of hummus (supremely spicy, of course), some diced red onion, and one of the falafel logs. Baked at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, and I had perfection. It was so easy I didn’t think it warranted a full written recipe, but you really should make these. I’m excited to have some leftover egg roll wrappers, and I can’t wait to use them!

I also made a more traditional wrap this past weekend after my last long run before the Chicago marathon – chimichangas! I had seen online the idea of making baked chimichangas, and decided to give them a try (because I LOVE the fried version). Again, you can really put whatever you want in them (I used onion, pepper, poblano, tomato, corn, and black beans), and roll that up in a burrito sized tortilla. Then, you just need to bake them at 400 degrees for about 12 minutes, sprinkle on some cheese, and cook them another 3-5 until the cheese is melted and they’re crispy. So easy. So delicious.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned with all these wrapped up foods, though, is the importance of patience. I can’t tell you how many times I burnt my tongue or the roof of my mouth – to the point where it hurt for days. Matter of fact, I’m still nursing my post-chimichanga burn, which is almost a week old! But that’s okay – it was worth the deliciousness.

Anyone else obsessed with wraps? 
Have any fun wrap recipes I should try?