A little bit about our camping trip and a scrumptious recipe for healthy wraps with spiced chickpeas and very versatile tahini dressing.We just got back from our camping trip which was a lot of fun. Our boys loved it and so did our puppy Kona. It was her first long car ride and she did great. She got to “test” the water in the river and was only mildly interested but kept going if we were there, too. We got to spend 3 nights surrounded by Nature, tall trees and fresh air. What surprised me the most was the amount of RVs there. Seems like hardly anyone these days uses just tents when camping. Maybe we just don’t get out often enough.

Our last day while camping happened to be on Father’s Day. Since my dad, who is visiting from Poland, came with us, it was a double celebration. My husband, who typically asks for “sleeping in” as a birthday/Father’s Day gift, this time got up first and spent some uninterrupted, quiet time by the fire. Later we made a delish breakfast of country style potatoes cooked on a open fire (cast iron skillet is a must), crunchy bacon and scrambled eggs. Normally, at home I would also make blueberry pancakes or Belgian waffles with strawberries and freshly whipped cream. This time no one was complaining and both dads really enjoyed it.

As far as our menu during the trip, we had some barbecued chicken drumsticks, turkey burgers with olives and goat cheese, and chicken breasts marinated in yogurt, cumin and cilantro. I’m planning to add these recipes at some point here.

Since eating while camping isn’t necessary the healthiest, after we got back I was craving some meatless, quick and easy lunch dish. The “Thug Kitchen” cookbook came handy as always. I decided to try the Spiced Chickpea Wraps with Tahini Dressing. They turned out to be very good, full of flavor, filling and easy to make. I only made a few small changes to the recipe.

The tahini dressing recipe is very versatile and goes fantastically with most green and grain salads. A kale salad with tons of vegetables, nuts, some fruit and tahini dressing was my introduction to both kale and tahini 5-6 years ago when kale became the “it” vegetable.  To prepare this dressing simply whisk together tahini paste, water, lemon juice, rice vinegar, olive oil, soy sauce, minced garlic and maple syrup. Set aside.Next, work on the chickpeas. Warm up a skillet, add a touch of olive oil and fry the chickpeas for about 5 minutes until they turn golden. While they are cooking, in a small bowl mix together lemon juice, maple syrup and soy sauce. When the chickpeas start popping a bit, add the lemon juice mixture. Stir and let it evaporate. Then add the remaining spices: paprika, cumin, garlic powder and cayenne pepper. Stir well and remove from the heat.Finally, you can assemble your wraps. Simply, place a whole wheat wrap on a flat surface and add a generous amount of arugula, baby kale or spinach.Next, add the chickpeas, then julienned cucumber and carrot (bell pepper and zucchini will work great, too). Drizzle with some of the tahini dressing. Wrap and take a bite! Makes: 2             Prep time: 10 minutes                 Ready in: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

Tahini Dressing:

• 1/4 cup tahini paste
• 3 tablespoons of warm water
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce (reduced sodium preferable)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• pinch of salt

Spiced Chickpeas:

• 1/2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 (15 oz) can of chickpeas, rinsed
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon honey or maple syrup
• 1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• pinch of cayenne pepper (optional)

To serve: 2 whole wheat tortillas or wraps, arugula/baby kale/spinach, carrot matchsticks, cucumber matchsticks, thinly cut bell pepper and zucchini.

Directions:

1. Dressing: mix together all of the dressing ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
2. Chickpeas: heat up a skillet, add the olive oil and fry the chickpeas until they start to change to a golden color, about 5 minutes.
3. Mix together lemon juice, soy sauce and maple syrup. Add to the skillet. Stir and let it evaporate.
4. Add the remaining spices into the skillet. Stir and cook about 15-20 seconds to “wake up” the oils.
5. Assemble the wraps by placing a handful of greens on top of the wrap, then adding chickpeas, julienned vegetables and a good drizzle of the dressing. Wrap and serve.

 

Enjoy!

Recipe adapted from “Thug Kitchen”