It is that time of year again, when cooking is the last thing you want to do, and running to the beach and lake and picnic and backyard lulls you into ignoring everything else on your to do list.

Enter wraps. With lots of flavor. They are great for parties, picnics, or just lunch for one out on the deck.

I was thinking these summer thoughts and I remembered a creamy, vinegary roast beef wrap I had 8 years ago. I don’t even know where I got the recipe but it was an actual recipe, and I used to make these when we would pack a cooler to go to the horse races in Saratoga Springs (where we lived for 5 years) or to the lake.

The reason why I had a craving for them eight years later is because this is not just any roast beef wrap. You take the roast beef and you toss it with a dressing made of cider vinegar, dijon mustard, and oil. And if you are like me, anything that has a vinegar kick to it tends to stay in the memory and put down deep, deep roots.

Then you add in creamy avocado and the moisture from the oil and tartness from the vinegar, and it all mixes together to make a texture that is unlike anything I’ve ever had. Add in some crunchy scallions and it is perfection.

In fact, I may or may not have searched through two huge recipe binders to look for it.

Just. For. You.

(Ok maybe a little bit for me too.)

I also don’t think the original recipe called for horseradish cheddar cheese, so if you don’t have it no worries, it is still delicious. But I had some and it is just perfect on this wrap. I will be dreaming of these until the next time I have an excuse to make them. Trust me if you or anyone in your crew like roast beef, you will cement this into your summer menus. 

Wraps are also so great for entertaining. You can make them ahead, no one is intimidated and most people can find something they like. Maybe even love with these other flavorful wrap ideas:

{Turkey with thinly sliced cheddar, apples and mango chutney mayo (mix the mayo with the chutney and spread on wrap)}

{Chicken, bacon and shredded white cheddar with avocado cilantro yogurt dressing like this one. SO good.}

{Chicken salad mixed with curry mayo and grapes}

{Buffalo chicken salad with chopped celery and blue cheese dressing}

{Asian Wraps with Shredded Chicken, Carrots, Scallions, lettuce and Sesame Ginger Dressing}

Happy Eating! xoxo Katie

Creamy Roast Beef and Avocado Wrap (printer version here):

Makes 3-4 wraps

1 package 9″ tortillas or your favorite flat bread (I used whole wheat Flatbread brand)

1/3 c. olive oil (or canola oil)

3 Tbs. cider vinegar

1 Tbs. dijion mustard

3/4 lb. roast beef – shaved is great or slice it into strips

2 avocados, peeled and cubed

2 scallions, chopped

1/4 salt, dash of pepper

4 sliced or horseradish cheddar

Whisk together oil, vinegar, and mustard. Add other ingredients and toss together. Put on a tortilla with cheese and wrap.

This post has such an easy and delicious dinner that I am going to share a few behind the scenes things with you as well.

First, I just want to thank all of you who visit this corner of the Internet. This little blog keeps growing steadily and surely and I have some new collaborations coming this year that I am really excited to share with you. I am also planning to bring back a lot of new ideas when we visit France next month, so stay tuned. French cooking is my first love – here is one of the earliest posts I wrote about my dream to be a French farmer. So strap on your seat belts.

I know there are a lot of blogs out there (feel free to visit here, here, and here for amazing food blogs that inspire me) but thankfully I have remained aware of the fact that I am not a trained chef, just a passionate self-taught foodie, and my husband did not quit his job to help out with the blog. I got into this gig because I love writing and food. I love the narrative behind food and the stories it creates. I have learned however that in the blogging world, the photos are even more important. And I am trying to grow my photog skills. I love coming up with new recipes and sharing a love of simple, rustic, seasonal food. And since I have a freakishly strong level of enthusiasm, it helps me to not compare myself to other blogs, especially chefs and husband wife teams.

Also, many of you know that I am trying to get a novel published, and this is honestly a longer road then I thought it would be but I am still very zen. I am in a busy phase of life at the moment, and blogging here and on my writing website fit better into the small time windows I have, but I am still looking forward to starting my next big writing project (hello, preschool for Andrew). I have thought about letting this food blog go in order to do that but I am really just too happy sharing these recipes (and creating an archive that I use all the time! and dreaming about a cookbook one day!) that I want to continue at my once a week pace.

Finally, I have been posting dishes on Instagram that aren’t quite worth a whole blog post but might still be a great quick meal idea or inspiration for you. If you don’t follow me on Instagram already, or if you don’t even have a Instagram account, here is a nudge to set one up. (See: my pasta dish for busy nights, sautéed dandelion greens in garlic and olive oil which were heaven, my favorite freezer meal: calzones). Instagram can be an anxiety producing space for some people because pics can make peoples lives look perfect. I view it like Pinterest (you can follow me there too!) and use it just for inspiration.

Ok, onto the food:

We had our first alfresco meal of the season last night, and it was so great to be outside for a family meal. Please note the giant tub of noodles in front of my picky eater. A lot of readers ask do your kids eat what you make? And that side of pasta is the answer. But they are mostly really good eaters and are very appreciative of good food. My daughter Sophie (on the right) just told me after taking a few bites of something I made, “mmm, this is really good. You know mom, you could be a lunch lady.” So I got that going for me.

^^Don’t your kids come to the table in a Frozen robe?

This dinner was so magical being outside and the kids really did love the food. I’ve made this pork with apples recipe before, because I figured they would eat it since it has apples, and it has become a family favorite. I found it on another food blog and the video just makes it look so simple, I have to share it with you. They make it with tenderloin in the video but this time I made it with pork loin and it was just as good.

One thing I learned making it this time is that there is a strip of tough, shiny membrane on both tenderloin and pork loin that you want to cut off before cooking. It makes the end result more tender and moist.

I made Gwenyth Paltrow’s yummy roasted veggies on the side. You cut up sweet potatoes, carrots, parsnips, and I also add Brussel sprouts because, yum, and I think they make the dish look pretty. Then you mix 3 T. each olive oil, dijon mustard, and maple syrup, and pour it on the veggies, then roast at 425 for 20 minutes. I love the leftovers on salad all week.

This dinner was so fast, healthy and delicious (my trifecta for a good dinner) and it fed our hearts and tummys.

The beer didn’t hurt either.

Easy Roasted Pork Loin with Apples and Onions (for printer version, print here) :

Ingredients:

• 2 (1- to 1-1/2-pound) pork tenderloins (I used pork loin, just add to the cooking time
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt, plus more as needed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 2 apples, cored and sliced (We use Granny Smith, Golden Delicious or
• Braeburn)
• 2 onions, sliced
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon butter

 

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. Trim each tenderloin of any silver skin (this can be tough when cooked, just use a small sharp knife and slide the blade under and outward to remove it). Pat pork dry with paper towels.
3. Then, using your hands, rub the tenderloins all over with 1 tablespoon of the oil, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt, and rub until both tenderloins are evenly coated.
4. Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large cast iron skillet or heavy-bottomed oven-safe frying pan over medium heat. You will know when the pan is ready when the oil shimmers.
5. Add the pork tenderloins and cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned all over. This should take about 12 minutes.Transfer the browned pork to a large plate or cutting board.
6. Check the pan, if it looks dry add 2 to 3 teaspoons of additional oil. (If there is fat left in the pan from cooking the pork, there is no need to add additional oil). Now, add apples and onions then cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned around edges, about 5 minutes.
7. While the apples and onions cook, use a pastry brush (or use your hands) to rub the pork all over with the mustard, sprinkle it with 2 teaspoons of the thyme and black pepper, and rub until it’s evenly coated.
8. Add the remaining teaspoon of thyme to the apples and onions, stir. Then, place pork tenderloins on top of apples and onions and slide into the oven. Roast 10 to 15 minutes (20-25 for pork loin) or until an internal thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers between 145 and 150 degrees F (63 and 65 degrees C).
9. Transfer pork to a large plate and cover with aluminum foil. Let rest about 10 minutes.
10. While the pork rests, place the pan with apples and onions back onto the stove and turn heat to medium. Add chicken stock and use a wooden spoon to scrape the pan, lifting any brown bits from the bottom. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Add butter and stir until melted.
11. Slice pork into 1-inch slices then serve on a bed of the apples and onions with pan sauce drizzled on top.

From The Inspired Taste website.

 

Maple Dijon Roasted Root Vegetables (printer version here):

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup  
• 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard  
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• 1⁄2teaspoon coarse salt 
• 1⁄2teaspoon fresh ground black pepper  
• 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
• 4 parsnips , peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
• 4  carrots , peeled and cut into 3-inch sticks about 1/2 inch thick
• I cut back on 1 parsnip and 1 carrot and add 2 cups of Brussel Sprouts

 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Mix together the syrup, mustard, oil, salt, and pepper. Toss together with vegetables on a large baking sheet. Roast, stirring occasionally, until browned and cooked through, about 25 minutes.

 

From Gwyneth Paltrow’s My Father’s Daughter cookbook.

 

 

 

 

If you follow me on Facebook, you know I posted recently about how AMAZING the movie the Hundred Foot Journey was. So many beautiful scenes in France (we are going there this summer – six weeks away!), such heartbreaking family themes, and most of all, such passion about food.

My favorite line: “Food is memories.”

This is so true, and really it is my driving force behind my love of food.

This Strawberry Rhubarb crisp is the perfect example.

Growing up we had rhubarb plants in our back yard, and every spring, my mom would make this dish. Even as it was cooking in the oven yesterday, the aroma of the sweet strawberries mingling with the slightly sour rhubarb made my mouth water and brought me right back to being in our family kitchen growing up. Strawberries and rhubarb together create some kind of alchemy that is a one of a kind flavor. No doubt this is why it makes such a powerful food memory – nothing in the whole world tastes like it.

It was pure joy to make this for my family. My husband loves crisps, and early on requested that the crumb topping be doubled as often as possible, so I always make mine with lots buttery oat crumbs. And I told my daughter Sophie that my mom used to make this for us, and I gave her a taste before dinner and she was glued to the bowl. “I can’t stop eating this! It is the best thing I’ve ever had!” 

So I am hoping this food memory has been passed down to a new generation. And based on their reaction – ok, who am I kidding, based on my complete sadness that there are no leftovers – we will be making this again soon.

Did I mention it is super easy?

You start with the crumb topping. I adapted this from a recipe for just a rhubarb crisp, and I really loved their method for making the crumb topping. You melt the butter first, then stir it in when it is liquid, then put this bowl in the freezer. It was so nice not to have to use very cold cubes of butter and a pastry cutter which, though not that hard, just seem like extra work when you could use a fork to stir these ingredients together.

While this is in the freezer, you just chop the strawberries and rhubarb (I used a pound and a half of each which was the perfect ratio to the crumb topping) and dust them with flour, sugar, orange zest and vanilla.

You lay the fruit mixture in a greased ceramic bowl, then cover with the crumb topping. Bake at 375 for 45 minutes.

Directions (printer version here):

Combine 1 ½  cup flour, 1 cup oats, 1 ¼  cup sugar and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir in 8 tablespoons melted butter; squeeze into large crumbles and place in the freezer.

Toss 1 ½  pounds chopped rhubarb, 1 ½ pounds strawberries, halved or quartered if large, 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a 9-by-12-inch glass or ceramic baking dish. Scatter the crumble on top and bake in a preheated 375 degrees F oven until golden and bubbly, 45 minutes. Let cool for 15 minutes; serve with whipped cream.

Adapted from this Food Network recipe for Rhubarb Crumble.