I’ve been experimenting more than ever in the kitchen this summer. Lunch is my least favorite meal of the day (I guess because my options at home always seem subpar) so I’ve been trying to come up with more easy yet healthy lunch options–and ways to sneak in more veggies. In thinking outside of my usual cheese and crackers or “crazy bowls,” i.e.: anything that’s leftover in the fridge combined in a bowl–I’ve been serving up lettuce veggie wraps that I can make ahead of time and save for the week. They’re fairly easy to whip up, just involves a lot of chopping which I’ve found is rather zen-like when I’m in the mood. You can get creative with your options but one of my favorite combinations has been: swiss chard, red pepper, purple cabbage, cucumber, mango, and avocado.
Choose your choice of seasonal veggies and chop thinly. I will say adding mango and avocado are key ingredients in the flavor department!
If using swiss chard for the wrap make sure to de-stem. (You can also use rice paper. I’ve since made these with rice paper, brown rice, tofu, and/or chicken as my guy much prefers when meat is involved and we both loved them).
Doctor up your soy sauce with lots of garlic, lime, and red pepper for a kick!
The key step is boiling a pot of water and dipping the swiss chard in for a few seconds so it’s easier to roll and will hold everything together. Then load them up!
Chop and serve!
Photography | Stephanie Russo
