Lunch is my nemesis.
While I love to eat and have never been one to skip meals willingly,
most days, I dread the thought of finding something to eat for lunch
that a) actually sounds good and b) I won’t regret later (like,
five chocolate chip cookies staring me in the face and looking much
more appealing than a boring PB&J).
My problem is that I
refuse to spend more than about 10 1/2 (but usually more like three)
minutes putting a quick lunch together. Cooking and slaving over
lunch? Ugh, no thanks. I want something light and healthy but still
filling and fast — is that too much to ask?
Well, these wraps? They
are my lunch salvation. What’s easier than rolling up a bunch
of stuff in a tortilla wrap? Not a lot, that’s what, especially
since I keep all the ingredients prepped in little containers in the
fridge.
These wraps are
fantastic. Like, I want to reach through the screen and shove half of
one in your mouth so you know what I’m talking about. The
crunch factor is crazy-in-a-good-way thanks to the quick, 10-minute
homemade pickles, fresh lettuce and crisp carrots and the simple
sweet and slightly spicy spread takes these from ordinary chicken and
veggie wraps to unique and tasty Thai chicken wraps.
If you are feeling
anger toward the lunch hour, like me, or you simply need an idea for
a quick, easy dinner, these wraps will be your salvation, too.
Thai Chicken Crunch Wraps Yield: Makes 2-3 wraps (can be increased as needed)
The cucumbers (i.e.
quick pickles) can be made several days in advance. All the other
ingredients can be prepped ahead of time, too, making this a super
easy throw-together lunch or dinner.
Ingredients
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 english cucumber, halved and cut into thin ribbons
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet Thai chili sauce
2-3 burrito-sized tortillas (white, wheat, spinach, or whatever you prefer)
4 leaves romaine or green lettuce
1-2 cups cooked, sliced chicken or turkey
3/4 cup thinly sliced or julienned carrots (1-2 large carrots)
1/2 cup packed cilantro leaves
Directions
In a pie plate or other shallow
dish, whisk together the vinegar, sugar and salt. Add the cucumbers,
tossing to cover with the liquid. Let them stand for 10-15 minutes
while you prepare the other ingredients (they can be made several
days in advance and covered in the refrigerator).
In a small bowl, combine the mayo
and chili sauce. Spread a couple tablespoons evenly on the
tortillas. Top with lettuce, chicken, cucumbers (lightly patting
dry, if needed), carrots and cilantro (just eyeball the amounts for
each tortilla depending on how many wraps you are making). Roll the
tortilla up tightly like a burrito so the ends are enclosed. Serve
immediately.
Recipe Source: adapted from Cuisine
at Home Issue 103 (used a different type of chili garlic sauce — sweet Thai —
adjusted ingredient amounts, reduced mayonnaise, etc.)
Melanie Gunnell is a food-loving, chocolate-obsessed mom who has a desperate need to share
her favorite tried-and-true recipes with the world. In a past life she graduated from Brigham
Young University with a degree in public health, but for the past ten years, stay-at-home
motherhood has been her job along with blogging-from-home for the past five.
She resides in the brilliantly cold tundra of Northern Minnesota with her husband and their brood
of five children: four boys and one tiny, bossy girl. Dark chocolate (particularly the act of
shoving chocolate chips in her mouth whilst hiding in the pantry) is her coping skill of choice for
both the never-ending winters and the never-ending wrestling matches in her front room.