As I think I have mentioned before I love wraps and sandwiches. In my opinion there is very little that cannot be squished between a couple of slices of bread or wrapped in a tortilla. I do draw the line at some things though. I once knew someone who had been twisted by several years of boarding school food to think that cold left over Chinese take out was a good filling for a toasted sandwich. That my friends, is just weird. Apparently, according to my North American sources, Australians do tend to put some very odd things in a sandwich or wrap. Personally I think you have never lived until you have had a toasted sandwich with canned spaghetti and cheese, my husband disagrees and flatly refuses to try what he terms "an abomination". The wraps below are a little less confronting than cold Chinese take out or canned spaghetti. Instead they are a wonderful combination of texture, flavour and colour that should be a hit at any picnic. I have used some high fat elements in these wraps, but the secret to doing this is to use them sparingly, which gives you the feeling that you are indulging, but none of the associated thigh expension.
Chicken Wrap with Roasted Asparagus and Vegetables
Chicken and Roasted Asparagus
Serves four
Ingredients
4 Medium Tortillas (Whole wheat or whole grain) 4 leaves of Boston lettuce 1 cup shredded carrot 16 green olives, sliced 24 spears of asparagus roasted (I have to confess I can buy them already roasted in the deli at my local supermarket. However if you can't roast in a 375 degree over with a little olive oil spray for 15 - 20 minutes, you can also add garlic while they are roasting) 1/2 cup pickled hot ring peppers 4 slices reduced fat Swiss cheese 4 tablespoons lite mayonnaise 4 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Method
Self explanatory really, put all the ingredients in the tortilla and wrap, finish with a light sprinkle of balsamic vinegar. Obviously you can add as much of as little of these fillings as you like, but I needed quantities to calculate the nutritional values.
Per Serve
Calories
Fat
Sodium
Carbs
Fiber
Protein
250
7.5 g
304 mg
18 g
1.4 g
2.7 g
Turkey, Brie and Cranberry Wrap
Turkey, Cranberry and Brie
Serves four
Ingredients
4 Medium Tortillas (Whole wheat or whole grain) 16 Slices or lean turkey breast 4 oz brie 4 tablespoons cranberry sauce handful of sprouts of your choice , I like broccoli, but whatever works 2 teaspoons of tahini
Method
Self explanatory really, put all the ingredients in the tortilla and wrap. I know that the Tahini may seem like an odd addition, but it really works here, similar to the way the peanut butter and jelly sounds odd, but works well. Again you can add as much of as little of these fillings as you like, but I needed quantities to calculate the nutritional values.
Per Serve
Calories
Fat
Sodium
Carbs
Fiber
Protein
271
7.7 g
648 mg
19.7 g
1.6 g
16.5 g
Serving Suggestion
You can substitute low fat cream cheese for the brie here and it works really well. The Brie accounts for 78 calories and 6 grams of fat per serve, so adjust your values accordingly.
Chicken, Pear and Candied Walnuts
Serves four
Ingredients
4 Medium Tortillas (Whole wheat or whole grain) 4 leaves of Boston lettuce 16 oz poached chicken cubed 1 small ripe pear, peeled and chopped 1/4 cup walnuts 1 tablespoon brown sugar 2 teaspoons lite butter 4 tablespoons lite mayonnaise
Method
Again this is a case of a little of a high fat item i.e. the candied walnuts, going a very long way. To make the candied walnuts roast the nuts in a 375 degree over for about 15 minutes or until you start to smell them. Be careful nuts burn easily. Meanwhile melt the butter and sugar together in a small pan. Toss the nuts in the sugar mixture and drain on a rack. When the nuts are cooled, combine in your wrap with the other ingredients. These wraps are seriously good.
