Summer infuses my menu with seasonal favorites. Two of them: peaches and wraps...
These summer wraps (two recipes to share) started as snacks. The first: Peach Basil Avocado Skewers with a tangy sweet balsamic dressing. The second, a simple spread of avocado, banana, cashew butter and crackers.
But the extra large spinach-speckled sandwich wraps in my fridge were just begging to be stuffed, so I turned snack time into wrap time. The summer-y sweet lunchtime-approved results ahead...
Skewers..
Wrap..
..wrap or skewers, both versions sing with summer flavor..
Wrap #1 is filled with intense flavors. Sassy, sweet, acidic peaches combine with creamy, mellow, velvet-y avocados and sweet fragrant basil - all swirled in a tangy balsamic dressing.
But really, it started with basil. I had some.
And we all know that basil is best when fresh and fragrant. I wanted to make snack skewers using the basil .. I guess you could call it my creative vegan interpretation of a skewered caprese salad perhaps.
I grabbed a summer peach, ripe avocado and started slicing. Basil + Peaches = delish. Add in creamy rich avocado and rich balsamic dressing or dip and you have a skewer worthy of any casual snack time yet snazzy enough to serve as a fancy party appetizer.
Wrap #2 is is a bit more unusual, more on it below..
But first up, my divine peach wrap! Loved this and will make it again for sure.
Skewers -> wrap
Wrap #1 Peach Basil Avocado Balsamic Wrap or Skewers
1 extra large wrap or use skewers to serve!
1 small peach, sliced
½ avocado, sliced
handful of fresh basil leaves, shredded or chopped
balsamic dressing (below)
splash of lemon juice (optional)
additional greens/veggies/salad (optional)
balsamic dressing:
2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon balsamic vinegar (thick /aged is my favorite)
pinch of salt
pinch of fine black pepper
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard AND/OR 1 tablespoon chopped onion (for added flavor depth)
optional: chopped herbs or additional spices
Directions:
1. Prep your peaches and avocado - toss together with an optional splash of lemon or orange juice. set aside.
2. Blend your dressing in a food processor or blender or mini chop blender. You can also double or triple the recipe and save some dressing for later - store in the fridge.
3. Warm wrap on stove top. I use a gas burner and simply heat the wrap over an open flame for about 5-10 seconds on each side. Be careful using this method! Make sure the wrap doesn't catch on fire. A few charred bubbly edges is OK and tasty. You can also warm in the microwave or oven.
4. Toss your peaches, basil and avocado with a splash of dressing. Fill wrap. Add another drizzle of dressing if desired. But just a little goes a long way! Also add any additional veggies for a heartier salad-style wrap. (You may have leftover dressing fyi).
5. Roll wrap. Allow wrap to cool and "set" before slicing or it has a tendency to fall apart a bit due to the slick contents. ... A handful of fluffy greens stuffed into the wrap would probably remedy this problem I had.
#2.. This next recipe is a wrap I whipped up one day when I was in a hurry to get out the door yet needed something 1) to fuel me for a long busy day, 2) something the tasted yummy and 3) something that wouldn't leave my stomach growling in an hour.
Nut butter is always a favorite go-to ingredient for me to satisfy those requirements. And bananas are a divine ingredient companion for nut butters. But I was feeling creative and wanted something green in this wrap as well.
Greens + Nut Butter.. I had a flashback to when my friend Gena (ChoosingRaw) made a spinach + almond butter + banana wrap (she called it Banana Sushi) in one of our videos last summer. (Links below recipes).
I never really think to combine greens and nut butter, especially something green and creamy like avocado - but I gave it a shot anyways.
It was delicious! Next time I would actually add more greens! Chopped romaine, chopped green cabbage or crunchy shredded carrots or diced celery to be exact. This wrap was very good - flavorful - (and very filling - I only ate one half) but I do think it needed some extra crunch to lighten the flavor and denseness of the ingredients. So I added that option in the recipe and will do that next time.
Wrap #2 Green Banana Cashew
½ avocado, sliced
1 small banana, sliced
2 tablespoon cashew nut butter (peanut, almond and sunflower butters also work)
salt/pepper - a few dashes
chili powder (for heat - optional)
drizzle of agave syrup (optional)
added crunchy greens/veggies (optional - advised!)
Directions:
1. Prep ingredients. Set aside.
2. Heat, fill and fold wraps as described in wrap #1 recipe.
3. Slice and serve!
Enjoy!..
See also:
* How to wrap a wrap (part of summer recipes)
* Gena's Banana Almond Butter Spinach Wrap (part of back to school video series)
*Also check out Gena's Banana Sushi recipe (similar - wrapped in Collard greens!)
