Back to basics. Wraps.
Kelsey said that she was after more "pack and go" ideas and knowing it is coming into warm weather for many of you I thought I would share my simple wraps. They might have a name but I don't know... and they are very adaptable.
In general if the weather is hot I don't cook. I assemble. So these are often made on a hot day. But also they are fantastic if you have a little left over chicken or lamb. They will give you a very good meal from not much meat at all.
The key ingredient is Tzatziki dip.
Using any kind of wrap or pocket (always warm them as they roll and fold much better) spoon in a generous amount of Tzatziki, some lettuce, cheese, cucumber, tomato and chopped red onion... and your chicken or lamb.
The meat can be warm or cold. It doesn't matter. Today I didn't include onion as I didn't have any. It didn't matter! Any kind of lettuce, sliced or grated cheese, sliced or chopped cucumber and tomatoes...lots of meat or very little... whatever you have it will be yummy!
You may have your own version of this, if you do please share. Also if you have something that you assemble ,but don't cook, on hot days or something you pack and take with you for an on the road or picnic meal please share those too! xxx
We do these with just salad veg. Very finely shredded lettuce, red onion, grated carrot, grated celery, thin slices of tomato with mayo and rolled up like sushi, then cut into pieces. My kids call them Australian sushi, after a friend showed me how to make them. Wraps are great to have on hand, they store on the shelf for months. Mountain Bread is great too, and very cheap if you buy online, straight from them at less than half the price of the supermarkets.
ReplyDeleteAnother great post, Annabel. I like the way you make me think outside the box. I never would have thought to use tzatziki dip. I make my own with Greek yogurt, cucumbers and lemon juice. I always mix some Greek yogurt in with mayonnaise when making any kind of dip or salad like tuna or chicken as I am always looking for ways to slip in more nutrition and less fat in my food. As for things I assemble when our children were little or if we travel I will assemble simple sandwiches and freeze. By the time we eat lunch they are thawed and we just add mayo and lettuce, etc when we unpack them. Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches freeze nicely. I sometimes will assemble breakfast sandwiches for a quick grab and go meal in the mornings. If I make biscuits (the bread kind here in the US) I will slice, add a slice of cheese and ham and a little butter then wrap individually and freeze. If I do not have ham any breakfast meat will do. Then we just pop them in the air fryer or microwave to heat up. Sometimes when it is too hot to bake during the day I will assemble the dry ingredients. Then I add wet ingredients wither in the evening when it has cooled off or first thing in the cool morning. I usually prep the baking pan when I assemble the dry ingredients. When I am ready to bake it makes it so quick and easy. The heat can really drain a person so breaking it up like this helps a lot. Thanks for the lovely post. I always look forward to Mondays and Fridays:)
ReplyDeleteWe use flour tortillas or Nam bread . Slather with softened cream cheese or any soft cheese. Then I add diced meat , I have even used a piece of lunch meat or sliced ham. Then pile on lettuce, Spinach or Spring mix. Shredded cabbage is good too. I always add thin sliced onions or pickled onions. Then lightly drizzle with Ranch Dressing. Wrap and enjoy. Quick, cheap and filling.
ReplyDeleteI make an Asian slaw vegan wrap (this healthy kitchen.com recipe) that our family loves. I do substitute real rice (made in a rice pot) for the cauliflower rice. Great recipe for hot days!
ReplyDeleteIt's a wonderful way to use up those leftover tortillas from tacos (and I prefer flour ones, which make wonderful wraps; I'm a household of one, so there are always leftover tortillas in my refrig). If I have a leftover piece of steak or beef, slice thinly or dice it up and use blue cheese salad dressing instead of the tzatziki. Add lettuce, onion and diced tomato. Another alternative I like is to put my bacon, lettuce, and tomato sandwich filling into a wrap. I also like to fold mine like a burrito to help keep any juices better contained. And, if there are leftovers from taco night, wrap them up to make a burrito and pan fry until golden, or grill a smaller tortilla, topped with leftover taco fixings and another tortilla on top, and flip once the bottom is golden, making a quesidilla.
ReplyDeleteBack when salad bars were popular in the US, when we were traveling and needed to eat fast and cheap, I would stop at a store, buy pita bread and salad fixings from the salad bar and assemble sandwiches. Bagged salad and a tomato plus tuna, also work well for sandwiches on the go. My kids really liked these! (The kids are now 45 and 47 and I'm pretty sure they would still like them). Best wishes to you, Annabel, and to all of the Bluebirds.
ReplyDeleteOops, that was me above--Maxine, aka mikemax
ReplyDeleteThose wraps sound delicious. We also use Ranch dressing for the condiment. We often pack salads for a quick pack and go lunch. We especially like them for a raod trip. Lettuce, tomato, cucumbers, onions, cheese , croutons, beans if there are some open ones in the fridge and any leftover meat plus a small container of dressing. On the go it is an all in one meal that only requires a fork and one dish for the entire meal. It is a great way to clean out the fridge, too!
ReplyDeleteWraps are so good! I like to mix mayo and mustard together and spread on them.When travelling we like to make our sandwiches on homemade hamburger buns,they seem to be less messy that way and are quicker to make also.I also cook lots of boiled eggs in the summer.they're great for travelling with the mini tupperware salt & pepper shakers with the tight lids.I also buy the big generic brand of potato chips and divide it into smaller sandwich bags along with carrot and celery sticks and cut up fruit.There is no way we can afford to eat at fast food restaurants anymore with a hamburger,fries and a drink costing $15.00 each now here in Canada.We were also at Costco yesterday and the kirkland can of coffee doubled from a month ago when we were last there.It is now $19.99 a can !
ReplyDeleteOh my. Double in a month!!! More motivation to do my Costco run and fill gaps! Thanks for this info. I miss the bluebirds on the ground reports! Missy
DeleteWe have always used cream cheese spread and layered salad fixings and a meat/cheese of choice, similar to an Aram sandwich. These other options sound delicious too.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for the idea, Annabel! Now I'm thinking a sweet version would work too- cream cheese, strawberries, a drizzle of honey- much like one would make a crepe. I look forward to reading everyone's ideas.
ReplyDeleteI love using my home canned salsa and sour cream on my salads. Love all the ideas!
DeleteI use homous instead of taziki.
ReplyDeleteThanks for this!
ReplyDeleteLove, Leslie
Hi Annabel
ReplyDeleteI really love reading the blog, so many good ideas from yourself and others, a real treasure. Your positivity is so inspiring! I’m English but have lived in France with my family for 10 years.
I put grated cheese in between wraps and cook in the oven for a few minutes to slightly crisp them and melt the cheese so they stick together. This gives a fairly stable base for constructing a sort of pizza - add any toppings you like.
Another one I do is to fry chorizo and onion lightly and set aside, place wrap in same pan, add chorizo and onion back in on one half if the wrap with some grated cheese, fold wrap over in half. Cook on both sides until golden in the oily loveliness from the chorizo and you have a crispy quesadilla. You could use any filling you fancy really. My daughter loves these, great for an easy lunch or supper alongside a crispy salad. Wraps are so versatile and s great staple to have on hand!
This is a lovely idea, thank you Laura. I’m keen to try these x
DeleteA popular wrap at our house: flour tortilla, smear of cream cheese, a slice of ham rolled around a pickled asparagus spear and similarly sliced cuke. Slice into 1” pinwheels. Quick and tasty. Also good without the asparagus but with chopped olives stirred into the cream cheese spread. Hint: a little smear of cream cheese on the last edge in the tortilla roll help “glue” the tortilla to itself.
ReplyDeleteOh that reminds me…one of my favorite meals from our fresh taco joint was a Caesar salad/chicken wrap!
I prefer a whole meal roll so I can eat with one hand. I usually buy the black cape seed rolls $3 for a four pack at Coles. But my mum buys the mini wraps wholemeal from aldi. They freeze really well. I also like tomato but slice it before eating as I find they go soggy. Same with beetroot. I love it I like it must be a Aussie thing ! I also find eggs boiled and mashed work well with salad or a small tin of tuna keep costs down. As a.student I often eat these for lunch or dinner. In the summer especially easy dinner. With some fresh fruit. A easy healthy meal. ! Sonia
ReplyDeleteSydney' Australia 🦘
onia try slicing the tomato and placing on a paper towel or similar while preparing the rest of your roll - it will absorb the moisture and you will not have a soggy roll - learnt this when doing some volunteer catering. Also you can shred lettuce and add to mayonnaise mix well then spread on the roll - lettuce doesn't fall out or make roll soggy either - another tip from catering. Jenny
DeleteThese are such good tips, thanks Jenny ~ Kim
DeleteGreat tips Sonia! Brilliant!
DeleteThat wrap looks so refreshing! I like to do something similar but I don't add the sauce to the tortilla. Instead, I wrap all the other ingredients then when serving we spoon or drizzle ranch dressing on each bite. Makes it keep longer without getting soggy tortillas.
ReplyDeleteAlso good -- pizza wraps. My family calls them Pizzatillas. Spoon a little spaghetti sauce or pizza sauce on the tortilla, top with cheese and pepperonis. It's good if you microwave it for a few seconds, but also good cold if you're on the go.
Lastly, I love peanut butter and banana wraps!