Soyrizo Chapati Wraps

Summer is finally here, and with it: time. Finals were brutal and after that it was off to see family on the other coast. Recovery from the trip followed and then....nothing. It always seems so strange to not be working on a paper, lesson plans, or studying for an exam. Sometimes I jerk with a sudden feeling of panic, convinced that I missed a Philosophy paper that was due. It is with relief and some disappointment I realize that classes are over for the academic year. I love learning, so to get the most out of my summer break I've been trying to work on learning the things that I chose. My husband and I had a joke that we were looking forward to having summer off from school so that we could study whatever we wanted to! lol Anyway, I hope to have plenty of time this summer to work on my blog here. I'd be adding quite a few more recipes and offering my thoughts on simple, healthful living, even if it is in the big city. ;)

Part of living simply and being health minded is avoiding processed foods. Too often they have excess sodium, preservatives and random things you can't pronounce. I wonder: If I don't know what it is, do I need it in my food? By making much of my own food I've found that most ingredients in prepared foods are only necessary to ensure that they survive their shelf life. When you make your own it is so much better. And usually the food is so good you don't have to worry about it's shelf life; you eat it too quickly!

Once in a while, we do buy something that is already prepared. One of those things is Trader Joe's Soyrizo. They also carry it at some Wal-Marts and other grocery stores. It is usually by the tofu, in the refrigerated section by the produce.

So what is Soyrizo? It is a vegetarian version of chorizo, a spicy sausage usually made of pork.  I've never had the real version, but I imagine the soy version is a million times better; no beings had to die to make it!

Soyrizo in Whole Wheat Chapati Wraps

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Chapati bread, Tortilla, or any similar thin Flatbread or Wrap
• Hummus
• Imitation cream cheese (Optional, but tasty. Leave out if you are limiting your caloric intake.)
• Soyrizo
• Black Beans
• Lettuce
• Tomatoes (Fresh are always great, but for this I used canned diced tomatoes with chilies, yum.)

Procedure:

  1.) After heating your chapati, spread a layer of hummus, followed by the "cream cheese" if using.

2.) Make a nice bed of lettuce on one side of the bread. This helps the ingredients to stay put and also helps with the wrapping.

3.) Add the beans, soyrizo and tomatoes. You could also add olives, sprouts, you name it. It's now your tasty creation!

4.) Finally, roll it up and enjoy! Don't worry about folding in the ends. This is best eaten with a fork, or wrapped up in some foil to eat it on the go.


A recipe for whole wheat flax chapatis will be following shortly. Stay tuned!