It feels so good to finally be back in the kitchen. After weeks of running around, grabbing snacks on the go, eating out with family in town, and preparing a meal with 3 or 4 other people in the kitchen, I thought I’d almost forgotten what it feels like to cook. I also haven’t had a chance to make any trips to my local farmers market, let alone even a grocery store, so I feel like I’ve been missing my favorite season of produce abundance.

Weeks ago, Scott and I made a quick stop to my grandpas house, where his raspberry bushes were overflowing with large, ripe, red berries just waiting to be picked and eaten. Instead, they ended up in my freezer because I just didn’t have the time to cook them up into something delicious. All the fresh summer squash, berries, peaches (oh the peaches), and cherries have hardly made an appearance in my kitchen. I have a lot of catching up to do.

When I was deciding what I wanted one of our fist meals to be as a married couple, I thought back to when we first met, and it was right about the same time I was learning to cook. Many of our first meals together were above the college standard of ramen noodles or peanut butter and jelly, but sometimes just barely. I remember there was a time when it seemed like we rotated meals on a weekly basis. I must have gotten bored quickly, because cooking soon became something more than just our next meal.

I remember making a wrap similar to these, that was my first feeling of triumph in the kitchen. Back then they seemed so simple. I remember thinking, hey, I can roast some vegetables, whip up a quick dressing, toss it all together and throw it in a tortilla. It was like I finally saw that cooking didn’t have to have a long list of ingredients and complicated instructions to be good. Sometimes simple is the better route and these wraps ended up being one of them.

Grilled Veggie Wraps / serves 4

Perfect for the grill on a hot summers night, but also can be easily prepared in the oven as well. Any vegetable that works great on the grill would be a good addition to these, I’ll add in some eggplant next time. The dressing makes more than you will need for the wraps, but save it and toss over your salad the next day or two. These wraps are vegan, if you use vegan tortillas, but feel free to add cheese or sour cream if you’d like. I actually would have topped mine with guacamole if I had some.

2 red bell peppers. halved and seeded
2 green bell peppers, halved and seeded
1 carrot, cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 medium red onions, cut into thick slices
1 medium zucchini or yellow summer squash, cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch thick slices
8 mushrooms, wiped clean
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, basil, or parsley
salt and pepper to taste
about 1/4 cup Mojo dressing, recipe below
4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas

Wrap all your veggies in foil and place on the BBQ for about 15-20 minutes or you can alternatively roast them in the oven at 425F, until they are lightly browned, stirring once or twice while roasting. Once they are all cooked until tender, let cool just enough so you can finish chopping them into 1/4-inch pieces.

In a large bowl, add the chopped veggies, cilantro, salt and pepper to taste, and 1/4 cup of the dressing. Toss to combine. Divide among the 4 tortillas and serve.

Mojo Dressing / makes 1 cup
Adapted from Joy Of Cooking

1/2 cup olive oil
8 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup fresh lime, sour orange, grapefruit, or pineapple juice
3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, cooking until fragrant but not browned. Remove from the heat and let cool 5 minutes.

Carefully stir in the lime juice, cumin, and salt and pepper, and bring to a boil. Let cool, and serve at room temperature. This dressing is best served fresh, but will keep covered and refrigerated, for up to 3 days.