Super Easy Sunday - Vegetarian Wraps

So, I figured it was time again to do a recipe that was delicious and healthy on the blog.  It's been a while.  This recipe comes from my sometimes-Vegetarian friend, Rachel.  (Everybody wave and say "Thank you, Rachel!")  The best part is that in addition to being yummy, these wraps are also easy to make.  And, once you've got the ingredients on hand and a little basic prep work down, you'll have fixings for even more wraps in the future. Yep, awesome.

What You'll Need

Supplies

Cutting board                                                            2 spoons

Knife for slicing and dicing                                       Plate

Ingredients

Bell pepper                                                                Morningstar "bacon"

Tomato                                                                      Shredded cheese

Wraps                                                                        1 can black beans

Mayo                                                                         Head of lettuce

Mrs. Dash

Now Let's Make Vegetarian Wraps!

Start by prepping your "bacon." You'll need two pieces for one wrap, so plan accordingly. Lay the "bacon" out on your plate and heat it according to packaging directions, which should be on one of the thinner sides of the box (Hey, I spent an inordinate amount of time looking for those the other day). Set aside when done.

Only real bacon deserves a photo, hoomans. You'll thank me.

While your "bacon" is heating, prepare your bell pepper. Insert the knife at the top of the pepper around the stem and remove the stem.  Slice the pepper in half and carefully excise the pith (the whiteish looking flesh). Rinse the inside of the pepper to remove any remaining seeds. Starting with one half of the pepper, slice it vertically (beginning at what was the stem end). Turn yours slices so that they are perpendicular to your knife and dice the pepper. Repeat for the other half. Unless you're making a ton of wraps today, you won't be using all that pepper, so store it in a plastic baggie for later use.

Now it's time to slice up your tomato. You need about 1 - 1 1/2 slices of tomato per wrap, depending on the size of your tomatoes (mine were puny small). Slice the tomato beginning at the end opposite the stem. You want thick slices, about the size you'd use if you were planning to dice it. When you have enough slices, cut all of them in half.

Let's build some wraps! Start by placing one wrap on a plate. Take a spoon of mayo and smear it around the wrap with the back of the spoon.  I used about 1 Tbsp of mayo per wrap, maybe slightly less.  You want the mayo to be pretty thinly spread; you really don't need much.  I always use mayo made with olive oil, but follow your bliss (say the words Miracle Whip and I'll throttle you. Just as soon as I cease gagging). Top the mayo off with a liberal dash of Mrs. Dash (see what I did there? huh? huh?). I usually use the table blend, but pick your favorite.

Next, add two slices of "bacon." Pick and end of the wrap to be the top and use that as a reference point. You want to place the bacon slices starting about half and inch away from the top. It's important to leave the bottom of the wrap (about 1 1/2 - 2 inches) clear for folding.

Now place your tomato halves running down the wrap on top of the "bacon." I like to lay them so the rounded edge faces alternate directions. I find this creates a more stable wrap.  Sprinkle the top with diced bell peppers in the color of your choice.  You might also want to add some red onion slivers here. The Rachel's recipe doesn't call for them, so I didn't include them, but I bet they'd be tasty.

Liberally sprinkle the top of the wrap with shredded cheese.  I'd say you need no more than 1/4 cup, but choose your amount according to taste.  Now, open your can of black beans and drain them (I also rinse mine out, because the black juice creeps me out. Looks like octopus ink). Add the beans to the top center of the wrap in a line over the tomatoes. I used at least two heaping spoonfuls and then added a few more for good measure. Don't be shy with the beans, as they will be the protein that makes the meatless wraps satisfying.

Top everything off with several leaves of lettuce. Tear the lettuce up so that it fits over the center strip of the wrap. There's probably three or four layers of lettuce there.

Fold the bottom of the wrap up and over the veggies. The fold should be right where the veggies end.  Then fold the side of the wrap in, tucking the edge slightly under the veggies. It's helpful to choose the side of your dominant hand.  Turn the plate so the open end faces your dominant hand and the side fold is toward your body. Tightly roll the wrap away from your body. And, voila! You now have a tasty wr - om nom nom nom. (sorry I still haven't eaten breakfast).