RECIPE: Hummus and Barbecue Onion Wrap

Hello friends! I've missed you. A thousand times a week, I think "I should blog about that" and then it seems time slips out of my hands. And by that, I mean if I'm not at work or school then I'm doing the essentials like sleeping or brushing my teeth.

So, here I am finally blogging about something. A delicious little wrap that I made the other night and loved, loved, loved. It comes from my new favorite cookbook The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook which comes from one of my favorite bloggers, Ali at the Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen blog (www.nourishingmeals.com). Ali and her delicious recipes have helped me expand my food horizons and my nutrient profile. I like her green smoothies (who knew that kale was so delicious first thing in the morning?) and her maple raspberry scones which were my first foray into mixing flours in gluten-free cooking, and her apple crisp which introduced me to the wonders of coconut sugar.

I feel the same way about her cookbook. It has pages and pages of great, nourishing recipes that taste good. When I ran across the wrap below, it sounded so good that my mouth immediately started watering and I knew I had to try it out. Read it with me and see if your mouth goes into paroxysms of delight as well.

RECIPE: Hummus and Barbecue Onion Wrap

from Whole Life Nutrition Kitchen Cookbook, p. 350, by Alissa Segersten

Barbecue Onion

2 large red onions

1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

pinch sea salt

2 to 3 Tbsps. organic, gluten-free barbecue sauce

The Wrap

2 brown rice tortillas, warmed (either in microwave for 30 seconds or in a pan)

1/2 cup of hummus

1/2 cup barbecued onion

1 small carrot, grated

1/2 small zucchini, shredded

1/2 cup finely sliced romaine lettuce

1. To make the barbecued onions, remove the skins from the onion, cut in half, and then thinly slice in crescent moons. Heat large stainless steel skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil, then add the sliced onions and a pinch of sea salt.

2. Saute the onions for about 7 to 10 minutes or until the onions are very soft. Remove for heat and stir in barbecue sauce. Onions can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.

3. To assemble the wrap, place the tortilla on to a flat surface or plate. Spread 1/2 of the hummus evenly over one side of the tortilla. Place 1/2 of the barbecued onions, shredded carrot, shredded zucchini, and thinly sliced romaine lettuce into a line in the middle of the wrap.

4. Tightly roll, and then cut in half. Serve immediately or wrap in waxed paper for later use.

I didn't have any romaine lettuce or zucchini on hand so I substituted both for some finely chopped fresh spinach. Also, I used roasted garlic hummus because I wanted some extra zing that I don't find in regular hummus. I found a great barbecue sauce too that was gluten-free and is a new staple in my pantry now. Then I made my first batch and oooohhhhhhh wow! I suddenly knew I had another keeper recipe on my hands.

I took a sample to one of my main taste testers (Meg) and got a thumbs up, so back to the kitchen I went to perfect my technique. In the meantime, I called over a couple of friends and we had a little impromptu dinner party and ate these to our hearts' delight. There is just something about barbecue and onions and wrap that seemed to make all go right in the world that night.

So try these and see if they make you smile too. You might even find yourself in the midst of your own impromptu dinner party.