Wrap it up!

Do you find that you love salads but get sick of eating them all the time? An easy solution to this is to wrap them up! One of my favorite classic salads is a caesar and adding portabella's makes them delicious and filling. Mushrooms make an excellent substitution in meatless meals because of their wonderful texture and earthy flavor.
The two recipes listed below are a regular combination on our dinner menu. They are easy, inexpensive, healthy and delicious!

Portabella caesar wraps
- 3-4 large portabella mushroom caps
- balsamic vinegar
- olive oil
- caesar dressing
- parmesan cheese
- sliced black olives (optional, but I LOVE em' ;-)
- romaine lettuce
- tortilla wraps (TIP: use spinach or sun-dried tomato wraps to make it more exciting)
- croutons (optional)
Begin by marinating the mushrooms in a little balsamic vinegar and olive oil for at least 15 minutes. Next Grill the mushrooms for about 10-15 minutes (you can also heat the mushrooms in a pan if grilling is not an option, but I think they taste better fresh off the grill). Slice the mushrooms and have everyone make their own wraps by layering lettuce, mushrooms, olives, croutons, cheese and dressing. YUM!

I really like to serve these wraps with a side of carrot soup. For some reason, these two recipes really complement each other and I guarantee you'll be surprised at how full you are after eating them.

Carrot Soup
- about 3/4 lb. roughly chopped carrots
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, smashed
- about 1/4 cup white wine
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- olive oil
- oregano
- salt & pepper
Saute the carrots and onions in a little olive oil and sweat until they soften. Add garlic and oregano and cook until fragrant. Raise the heat and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add the stock and water and bring to a boil. Cook until the carrots are very tender. Allow the mixture to cool, then process in a blender or food processor until smooth. (Note: you may need to add additional water at the end to reach desired consistency)
Pour mixture back into pot, add salt & pepper to taste and heat through. Serve with additional oregano for garnish.

It's usually better to start the soup before the wraps because the wraps are so quick to make. The mushrooms will provide fiber and selenium while carrots give you a healthy dose of beta-carotene. Both are readily available and inexpensive!

Happy Eating!