July 14, 2011: Veggie Wrap Recipe

I’ve shared with you that I’m trying my best to get healthy this month with daily exercise and a delicious fruit smoothie for breakfast. Another way I cut down on calories but load up on vitamins is by enjoying a raw veggie wrap for lunch.

I’m not including any measurements with this recipe because the amounts really depend on your particular tastes and the size of your tortilla or wrap (you can use a fancy one like spinach or sun-dried tomato flavor, but a plain old flour tortilla will work just fine). You could also put these ingredients in a pita bread for a change of pace.

This particular combination of ingredients is one of my favorites, but do feel free to substitute whatever you’ve got on hand and whatever sounds really good to you.

Veggie Wrap

1 tortilla, burrito size
Feta cheese, plain or flavored (you can substitute low fat cream cheese if you like)
Hummus, commercially prepared (any variety; my favorite is roasted pine nut) or homemade
Broccoli sprouts
Radishes, thinly sliced
Green onions, diced
Carrots, shaved into thin strips
Tomato, diced
Sunflower seeds
Mixed baby greens

Sprinkle feta cheese evenly over tortilla; microwave on high for about 30 seconds, just until cheese starts to melt and tortilla is softened.

Spread hummus over tortilla, sprinkle with remaining ingredients. Roll up like a burrito.

Serves one.

Tip: For some extra flavor, try splashing on a bit of balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing or a squirt of fresh lemon juice plus soy sauce.

July 5, 2011: Veggie Soft Tacos Recipe

Summertime is made for eating more fruits and veggies. To that end, I wanted to come up with a way to use some bits and pieces of vegetables while making a healthful, but filing lunch. Here’s what I came up with.

Veggie Soft Tacos

Veggie Patty:
¼ cup cooked carrots (to cook quickly, chop finely and out in a small bowl; add a couple tablespoons of water and microwave on high for 2 – 3 minutes)
¼ cup chopped bean sprouts
2 T. brocco sprouts (or other sprouts such as alfalfa)
1 T. minced onion
1 t. minced garlic
2 T. prepared hummus
1 T. sunflower seeds
1 t. soy sauce
1 egg
½ cup coarse bread crumbs, such as Panko
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients. Shape into one large patty and fry in a teaspoon of olive oil over medium heat, a couple minutes per side, until cooked through and crispy on the outside.

For Soft Tacos:
2 taco size flour tortillas
3 T. feta cheese (I used sundried tomato and basil flavored crumbles)
2 T. plain Greek yogurt
1 t. dried dill weed
1 t. lemon juice
1/2 t. garlic salt
Mixed baby greens

Combine yogurt, dill, lemon juice, and garlic salt.

To assemble soft tacos, divide cheese between the two tortillas; sprinkle on half of each tortilla. Microwave on high for half a minute to melt slightly. Place half the fried veggie patty on each tortilla. Top each with half the yogurt mixture and handful of greens. Fold in half and serve.

Tip: Use any veggies in your fridge as substitutes for the sprouts – cucumbers, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, peppers, etc. would all be good. Feel free to experiment with flavor/crunch combinations.