The wrap: the strange late-'80s/early-'90s convenience food that no one asked for. I can just imagine the brave inventors of this lunch staple in their brainstorming session:
"What if we could find a convenient, edible packaging system for various ingredients like cold cuts and lettuce, making them portable and easy to eat on the fly?"they wondered.
"I know, we'll use an enormous flour tortilla!"they exclaimed, ignoring the fact that this system already existed for thousands of years in a more delicious form calledthe sandwich．
The wrap offers neither more convenience nor more deliciousness than a sandwich. It borrows the very solid concept of aburrito, but instead of filling it with warm, vibrantly spiced ingredients, you'll usually find wraps filled with mediocre cold cuts and limp lettuce.
At least wraps are healthier those bready sandwiches, right?Hardly．And while the wrap once swept the nation, it's now become the stuff of emergency airport food or lame conference banquet spreads. Yet it still manages to persist in the age ofcharcoal lemonades和ketogenic diets．Despite its mediocrity, I find myself drawn to the wrap every once in a while, inexplicably and shamefully. Then, last week, I found myself with a package of flour tortillas in my freezer, begging to be used. Could I bring the wrap out of its state of constant underwhelmingness? I vowed to bring a homemade wrap to lunch at work for an entire week so I had skin in the game. Here are my favorite lunch wrap ideas for how to make a wrap that actually tastes good:
1. Gently Toast the Wrap Tortillas
一个主要的障碍在包装是美味WRAP itself: store-bought flour tortillas are alternately the texture of cardboard or oddly gummy due to added preservatives. To perk up those wrap tortillas, brush lightly with oil on both sides, and heat in a large skillet over medium heat, turning once, until they get pliable, yeasty, and slightly toasty. This quick step will add flavor and improve the texture—even if you save your wrap for a packed lunch and don't get to eat it warm.
2. Choose Better Condiments and Spreads
A major problem plaguing the wrap is dryness, and that's where your condiments and spreads come in. Steer clear of those sandwich standbys, mustard and mayo—wraps need extra flavor to redeem those unappealing tortillas. Instead, spread the wrap something creamy and zesty. Even better, pick one from each category.
The creamy category includes:Creamy yogurt sauce, miso; tahini ornut butter; andcreamy, spreadable fetaor even cream cheese
The zesty category includes: Chile-based sauces likeharissa, sriracha,Chile Crunch, or a bit ofKorean gochujang pepper paste．Herby sauces likeoil-packed za'atarorpesto．
TRY IT: Chicken and Hummus Wrap
Taking inspiration from these10-minute chicken flatbreadsfrom my coworker Anna, I like to make this wrap which includes the double-spread whammy of hummus and plain Greek yogurt. Add in shredded chicken, plenty of fresh parsley, diced tomato, and diced cucumber. I also like to add some za'atar and harissa. Don't forget the salt and a squeeze of lemon.
3. Don't Skip the Herbs and Greens
Often when making a casual lunch salad or sandwich, people forget to add the flavor boosters they'd use on a well-thought-out dinner. I like my salads—and my wraps—with a pop of fresh herbs. Add fresh basil, parsley, mint, or cilantro to your wrap, and do so with a heavy hand. Another way to add a pop of green: Be sure to tuck in a few spinach, kale, chard, or collard leaves.
TRY IT: Sweet Potato Black Bean Wrap
A trick I learned from the Lucky PeachPower Vegetables!cookbook is that you can cook sweet potato with lots seasonings that will make it taste like chorizo. Roast your sweet potatoes with cumin, chili powder, and coriander until they become soft and caramelized. Again, you can eat these for dinner and then use the leftovers for your wrap. Add them to the tortilla with black beans, lots of cilantro, avocado slices, pickled jalapeño, and some nutty brown rice.
4. Say Goodbye to Cold Cuts (And Hello to Vegetables and Leftovers!)
I'll say it: cold cuts don't belong in a wrap. Instead, roast a big vegetable medley for dinner, then use the leftovers to stuff in a wrap for lunch the next day. Use hunks of roasted sweet potato or winter squash, roasted onion, roasted pepper, roasted tomato, cauliflower, shallots, and beets. Really, almost any vegetable works. Leeks or asparagus would be delicious in the spring. I also like to add cooked beans orroasted chickpeas．
For protein, use leftoverroast chickenor shreddedrotisserie chicken．剩下的我的老板大卫的chicken kofta meatballs,thesebeef and mushroom pattiescrumbled up, or leftoversliced steakare also delicious.
TRY IT: Roasted Chickpea and Vegetable Wrap
Roast red pepper, onion, and chickpeas on a sheet pan until the chickpeas are crispy and the onion and pepper are sweetly caramelized and softened. Dress the mix with red-pepper flakes, salt, and pepper and enjoy as a side for dinner. Then, put the leftovers in a wrap with plenty of peppery arugula and a little basil. Spread creamy feta on the wrap (or add crumbled feta) along with tahini. Sometimes I also add pitted olives or capers. Squeeze some lemon over the top, and then fold up.
5. Don't Forget to Add Crunch
Whether I'm using roasted vegetables or chicken—or both—I like to add a raw vegetable element to my wrap for some crunch and fresh flavor. Use raw shredded carrots, radishes, diced cucumber, or red cabbage. You could use crunchy greens like romaine, or sprouts too. Even better: add one of these ingredients in pickled form for added flavor.
TRY IT: Fresh Vegetable Wrap
This wrap takes inspiration from the Brooklyn sandwich shopSaltie'sfamousClean Slate Sandwich(another recipe you can find inPower Vegetables!) The simplified version I like goes like this: spread a thin layer of miso, plenty of hummus, and Greek yogurt on your wrap. Add matchstick slices of carrot, diced cucumber, and jarredpickled beets．If you want some protein you can add slices ofhard-boiled egg．Add chopped romaine (or whatever green you have on hand) some fresh mint and basil, and some cilantro if you want.
6. Add Acid
One of my favorite lunch wrap ideas is to add a squeeze of lemon or a pop of vinegar. If you're taking a wrap to the office, consider packing a lemon wedge and squeezing it over your food when you're ready to eat. Or, keep a desk-side jar of balsamic, like I do.
TRY IT: Butternut Squash Wrap
This time taking inspiration from a recipe from my coworker Kat Sacks, I love to add thin slices of butternut squash that have been roasted with thyme and garlic to my wrap (adding some roasted or pickled beets also kicks this into high gear). Spread a thin layer of cream cheese over your wrap, then add a bit of harissa. Add lots of arugula, pickled red onion, and a few slices ofgood cheddar．Top with a little balsamic or red-wine vinegar, and you're going to feel shockingly good about eating a wrap.
