WRAP IT!

Image Gallery

Article Tools

Image Gallery

Print

E-mail

Comments

RSS

There's good stuff inside, but it isn't a tie.

By Anne Vassal

Photography by David Johnson

With all due respect to the festive holiday paper we use to adorn gifts, I'd like to talk about a different kind of wrap. • Though the winter season can be filled with laughter and cheer, it's easy to get bogged down by the holiday frenzy and succumb to consuming foods that sacrifice nutrition for expedition. Enter the tortilla-based wrap.

A staple of the Mayan diet and cornerstone of Mexican cuisine, tortillas are traditionally made from masa flour. Present at almost every meal, tortillas serve many functions, including food, spoon and plate. In the United States, tortillas comprise the fastest-growing segment of the baking industry, and have made their way into sandwiches, soups and desserts.

THE WRAPPER

Flour tortillas come in sizes ranging from 8" to 12". They also come in a variety of flavors and colors: green spinach, orange-colored chile, sun-dried tomato, whole wheat or plain white tortillas. In fact, most flat breads, such as chapattis or lavosh (or lavash) - even a split pita - can be used as a wrapper.

WRAPPING UP

To warm your tortilla, wrap it in foil and place it in a 350° F oven for about 10 minutes. You can also warm it in a large skillet over medium-high heat for about 15 seconds per side; if you want your tortilla a bit crispy, brush the skillet with olive oil before adding the tortilla. Next, spread the ingredients in a thin layer, leaving about a half-inch of space around the edges of the tortilla. Now you're ready to wrap. Roll it up so the inside will create a spiral design when sliced in half diagonally. The trick to wrapping is tension: Too tight and the contents will spill out the ends, too loose and it will fall apart when you try to eat it.

WRAPS TO GO

You can prepare the filling ahead of time, but don't wrap it in advance because the tortilla will get soggy. If you're brown-bagging a wrap to work, put the ingredients in sealable con tainers and assemble at lunchtime.

For a portable wrapper, cut your tortilla in half, roll it in aluminum foil, and place it in a plastic bag with napkins.

PESTO WRAP BITES

RSS | Comments | E-mail | Print