Summer is the season of so many wonderful things: Pool parties, beach days, warm nights, crickets chirping, Fireflies, and summertime love. Summer is here and the time has come to eat better and lighter. Shed that extra winter layer and get back into shape. Covid-19 is not an excuse anymore. The grill, covered under the deck for the past four months should be cleaned up and restarted by now.
You should be all fired up about grilling off fresh vegetables, corn on the cob, steaks, salmon, and chicken breasts. Salads, chilled soups, and wraps are back on the menu. Uncomplicated to make, flavorful, and easy to digest. Wraps are also a great item for the almost forgotten picnic. Does anybody still do picnics? Surprise your loved one with an old-fashioned picnic date, healthy wraps, and a chilled bottle of Chardonnay? Cheers! You will be the white knight. No need to get a horse.
You can do wraps in one of two ways. One; lay out all the ingredients and build them yourself at your own pace or pre-wrap them for a user-friendly dining experience. Besides, if they are prewrapped, you have one hand empty to hold an ice-cold beer. My suggestion - George Killian's Irish Red. Always smooth, always enjoyable!
Wraps can be very versatile. Look at them as Sushi of some sort. Tortillas are your seaweed that holds them together. Boursin spread or cream cheese is your rice and flavor booster and the stuffing is totally up to you and could do anything from vegetarian to smoked salmon, sliced turkey, sprouts, cucumbers sliced ham, and cheese, or a combination of all. Don't forget to add one crunchy ingredient such as strips of carrots or celery. For the spread, you can go as crazy and out of the box as you want. Boursin is always good, cream cheese and goat cheese are great too but you want them to be at room temperature to become spreadable. Tzatziki is my favorite dipping sauce. Nothing is more suitable for summer than ts cool yogurt flavor combined with lemon, garlic, and mint.
Another variation could be to cut the wraps into wheels and serve as an appetizer. Easy!
Summer bachelors, like summer breezes, are never as cool as they pretend to be.
. ~ Nora Ephron
Smoked Salmon Wrap:
10-inch flour tortillas or other wraps
4 ounces smoked salmon
4 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature until pliable
1 teaspoon chopped dill
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 English cucumber, cut in half, then cut in half lengthwise and divided into four strips
1/4 red onion, peeled, thinly sliced, and soaked in cold water for 10 minutes
Add dill to cream cheese and mix well. Layout your wraps and spread dill cream cheese evenly over tortilla. Lay down smoked salmon on the lower half, then add your capers, cucumber, and red onions, avocado, or anything else you like with your wrap. Fold the first part of wrap over ingredients and then tightly roll to the end. Watch the video below. Cut in half and trim ends.
Tzatziki Sauce:
2 cups grated cucumber (1 English hothouse cucumber, rinsed off and wiped dry. Cut off ends and grate on the large holes of your box grater)
1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint and/or dill
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
½ teaspoon kosher or sea salt
After grating cucumbers into a bowl, sprinkle with salt and let rest for about 15 minutes until the salt has drawn out all the water.
With both hands squeeze the water out of the grated cucumber. Squeeze directly over the sink, or press it lightly between kitchen or paper towels.
Combine yogurt, olive oil, mint/dill, lemon juice, and minced garlic in a medium bowl and whisk together. Stir in cucumbers and chill.
BLTA (Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato, Avocado) Wrap:
10-inch flour tortillas or other wraps
Boursin spread, at room temperature
4 slices of thick-cut bacon, cooked crispy
2 leaves lettuce, Boston or your choice, washed and dried on a paper towel
1 Roma or beefsteak tomato, sliced
salt and pepper mix
1/2 of a large avocado, either sliced or diced
Fig and Balsamic Drizzle:
1 bottle fig and balsamic reduction, store-bought, or any other flavor you prefer.
A small amount goes a long way. Just add a few drops of Balsamic to the cut side of your wrap. The acidity will break up the softness and sweet flavor of the avocado and add a nice layer of flavor to it.
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