Super Bowl: It’s a wrap

wht food column for Tuesday, February 2, 2016

by Genny Wright-Hailey

SUPERBOWL: IT’S A WRAP

This Sunday, the best play of the game could be the sandwich platter you serve at halftime. These delicious, make-ahead wraps are easy to assemble and require no utensils in play. Tortillas team up with bold flavors and fresh ingredients for a colorful presentation. Make several varieties, add chips and beer, and get ready to score some compliments.

RANCH WRAPS

Spicy Southwestern-style steak and crunchy vegetables with a dose of jalapeno cheese: a good match for beer. Recipe from “All Wrapped Up” by Ellen Brown; makes 6 servings.

3 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

2 teaspoons chili powder

Salt and fresh ground black pepper

1-1/2 pounds boneless sirloin steak, visible fat trimmed off

1/3cup mayonnaise

1/4cup barbecue sauce

6 Eight-inch flour tortillas

6 to 12 Boston or Romaine lettuce leaves

3 plum tomatoes, cored, seeded and thinly sliced

1/2small red onion, peeled and thinly sliced

1/4pound Jalapeno jack cheese, grated

Light a charcoal or gas grill, or preheat oven broiler. Mix the garlic and chili powder with salt and pepper; rub on both sides of steak. Grill or broil meat to desired doneness, then let meat rest for 10 minutes so juices settle. Carve meat into thin slices across the grain; set aside. In a bowl, combine mayonnaise and barbecue sauce. Place tortillas on a counter. Put some lettuce on one edge of each, leaving a 1-1/2 inch margin on both sides. Spread a layer of sauce mixture over lettuce, then add a layer of tomato slices and onion. Top with some steak; sprinkle meat with grated cheese. Tuck in the sides to enclose filling, then roll firmly beginning with filled side. Cut each wrap in half on the diagonal and serve warm, or wrap tightly with foil and refrigerate until serving time. Reheat slightly before serving.

“CLUB” WRAPS

Here’s an innovative club sandwich featuring smoked turkey and bacon. If you can find flavored tortillas, the tomato ones might be fun here. Recipe from “Wraps: Easy Recipes for Handheld Meals” by Mary C. Barber; makes 4 servings; double recipe if needed.

8 uncooked bacon slices, diced

1 cup chopped avocado

1 cup chopped tomato, seeds discarded

2/3cup finely chopped red onion

4 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt and ground black pepper

1/2pound thinly sliced smoked turkey

2 cups firmly packed chopped arugula

Four 10- or 11-inch flour tortillas

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add bacon; cook until crispy and brown, about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Using a slotted spoon, transfer bacon to a paper towel-lined plate. In a small bowl, gently combine avocado, tomato, onion, basil, lime juice and bacon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture evenly among the four tortillas, spreading on each, with at least a 1-inch border around the edges. Divide turkey and arugula among the tortillas; wrap burrito style. Wrap tightly with foil or plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to eat.

MUSHROOM WRAPS WITH SPINACH, BELL PEPPERS & GOAT CHEESE

This vegetarian wrap tastes meaty with portobello mushrooms, creamy with goat cheese, and healthy with a heaping quantity of fresh veggies. Recipe from Bon Appetit magazine; makes 6 servings.

1/4cup olive oil

1-1/2 pounds portobello mushrooms, stemmed, caps thinly sliced

Two 14-oz. cans Mexican-style stewed tomatoes

6 burrito-size flour tortillas

1-1/2 cups crumbled soft fresh goat cheese

12 tablespoons chopped green onions

12 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

2 cups sliced yellow bell peppers

2 large plum tomatoes, seeded, cut into thin strips

3 cups lightly packed baby spinach leaves (about 3 ounces)

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms; sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Add canned tomatoes with juices. Cook until liquid thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Season mixture with salt and pepper. Heat large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tortilla; cook until pliable, about 15 seconds per side. Place on work surface. Spoon 1/6of mushroom mixture in strip on lower half of tortilla, leaving 2-inch border at sides. Top with 1/4cup cheese, 2 tablespoons onions, 2 tablespoons cilantro, 1/6of peppers and tomatoes, then 1/2cup spinach leaves. Fold in sides of tortilla over filling, then fold up bottom and continue to roll up, enclosing filling. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling. Chill until ready to set out.

CARAMEL APPLE WRAPS

Apple pie without the fork – these sweet wraps can be made in just a few minutes. Recipe from “All Wrapped Up” by Ellen Brown; makes 6 servings.

Vegetable oil spray or melted butter

18 caramel candies, unwrapped

2 tablespoons milk

1/4teaspoon cinnamon

Six 6-inch flour tortillas, softened

2 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 tablespoons sugar

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cover a baking sheet with foil; spray foil with oil or brush with melted butter and set aside. Place caramels and milk in a small micro-safe bowl. Microwave on medium powder (50 percent) for 45 seconds. Stir; repeat as needed until caramel is smooth. Stir in cinnamon. Spread caramel mixture on each tortilla to about a half inch from edges. Arrange apple slices over half of each tortilla; fold over the other half. Press down with your palm or with a spatula to enclose filling. Space tortillas evenly on baking sheets and spray with oil or brush with melted butter, then sprinkle with half the sugar. Bake for 10 minutes, turn over with a spatula, sprinkle with remaining sugar and bake another 10 minutes or until browned. Allow to sit for 3 minutes, then roll each into a cylinder and serve warm.

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