How to Make a Wrap

How to Make a Wrap

I have been making wraps for my son’s lunch box for years and they are easy, delicious and nutritious. There is really no limit to the variety of cheeses, meats, vegetables and spreads that you can put into a wrap, but there are some basic wrap rules to follow.

• Choose a pliable tortilla or other flat bread as the canvas.
• Spread “glue” on the canvas in the form of mustard, mayonnaise, hummus or any type of spread.
• Layer on the ingredients starting with the hardest to control, like shredded cheese.
• Avoid wet or soggy ingredients.
• Don't overfill.
• Roll tightly and firmly and cut into two or more pieces on the diagonal.

Monday Morning Wrap
A very basic but satisfying wrap for easing back into the school/work week.

Ingredients:

• Trader Joe’s whole wheat tortillas
• Nayonnaise or Trader Joe’s mayonnaise (mix in some mustard if you child likes it)
• Trader Joe’s shredded three cheese blend
• Applegate Farms sliced herb turkey breast (no antibiotics or nitrities from Trader Joe’s)
• Trader Joe’s organic salad mix

Assembly:

Please tortilla on cutting board and spread a thin layer of Nayonnaise/mayo/mustard on entire surface. Sprinkle a handful of cheese across 2/3 of the surface, leaving last third empty. Layer on two slices of turkey breast on the third closest to you, then pile on a heaping handful of salad greens on top of the turkey and begin to roll the sandwich up using both hands and making sure to roll it tightly and tuck any stray ingredients back in. Cut on the diagonal and store for lunch.

French Toast

I've been buying a lot more bread lately because whole grain and multi grain options now abound. That leaves me with the question of what to do with leftover bread and I usually solve the problem by making French toast. If you like soaking your bread in the egg and milk mixture rather than giving it a quick dip, make sure you use day old fresh baked bread so it doesn't fall apart.

There are so many variations of French toast so I humbly offer you one. I find that this ratio of milk to eggs (1 egg to 1/4 cup milk) works well if you want to soak the bread. Too much egg to milk makes it harder for the bread to absorb the mixture.

Makes 4-6 servings, or 6 loaf slices

Ingredients:

• leftover or day old multi grain bread that's not too dense (baguette or loaf)
• 4 eggs or two eggs and 6 tablespoons liquid egg whites
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• pinch salt
• Trader Joe's grade B maple syrup
• 1 bag Trader Joe's frozen blueberries or strawberries (double if you like a lot of fruit)
  
• Confectioner's sugar
  

Preparation:

1. Place frozen fruit in a small saucepan over medium heat and cover. Stir occasionally to defrost while making French toast. Remove from heat when defrosted. If you overcook the fruit, it will turn to mush.
2. Slice bread about 1/2 inch thick and set aside. Preheat griddle or cast iron skillet over medium.
   
3. Beat together egg, milk, vanilla, cinnamon and salt. Soak slices of bread in mixture until saturated. Do not over soak or they will crumble.
   
4. Spray griddle or skillet with cooking spray and add prepared slices of bread. Cook until golden on both sides and cooked through, about 10 min. Serve with syrup, fruit and a dusting of confectioner's sugar.
   

Organic Spring Greens With Clementines, Candied Walnuts and Dried Cranberries

Clementines are still in season and I love eating them out of hand or putting them in a salad. The combination of fruit and nuts in salads works really well and even kids like it. When Clementines are not in season, I supreme oranges and use them. What does supreme mean? It means removing all the membrane and pith from an orange so all you have is pure fruit that shines. Here's an excellent youtube video that teaches you how to supreme an orange.

Now, back to the salad. When you’re in a big hurry and are willing to spend a little more for the convenience, substitute Trader’s Joe’s pomegranate seeds for the fresh fruit. They are packaged fresh in the lettuce greens section of the refrigerator case. They also add a bit more crunch to the salad and are beautiful to look at. I had this salad for lunch yesterday with some pita bread and it really hit the spot.

Serves 4-6 as an appetizer, 4 as a light lunch

Ingredients:

• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Organics Baby Spring Mix
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Organic Dried Cranberries
• 1 package Trader Joe’s Candied Walnuts
• 1 bag Trader Joe’s Premium Clementines
• Dressing of your choice
• 1 multi grain baguette

Preparation:

1. Arrange salad plates and divide salad mix evenly on plates, keeping it narrow and high rather than shallow and wide. Avoid dressing the salad until the last minute.
2. Wash and dry one Clementine per plate. Peel and section, removing any membrane, and arrange on top of salad greens.
3. Sprinkle each salad with 1 heaping tablespoon each candied walnuts and dried cranberries.
4. Serve with dressing of your choice and a loaf of Trader Joe’s multi grain baguette or other fresh baked bread.