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It's A Wrap!

© Donna Smith

What could be easier than wrapping up a whole meal in a flour tortilla? Well, everything but your drink, of course.

Robert Bruce Magee of Woodland Park, Colorado, was the inspiration for this week's article. He submitted his recipe for "It's A Wrap" in the Five Ingredients or Less Recipe Contest. His recipe is simple and delicious. "The whole process takes only five minutes and provides my daughter with a full, freshly made dinner-bread, meat, dairy, beans-that she simply loves," says Robert. "These are as good as any bought in a "wrap" restaurant, except they can be a little blander, which works for young to middle-school kids."

Almost anything can be put into a wrap. My kids love ham, cheese, lettuce, and tomato. I've made steak and cheese wraps by adding thinly sliced beef, American cheese, and sauteed bell peppers and onions. Robert's version has cumin and chili beans in it, giving it a Tex-Mex flavor. "(The Wrap)can be made with chicken, veal, just about any meat," say Magee. "I've used fish and Meredith loved it. Salsa is a good sixth ingredient, shredded lettuce a good seventh."

What about older kids and grownups? If you want to jazz up your wrap, Robert says the sky is the limit. "Goat cheese, fresh cilantro, yada yada yada," he says. I don't know about the "yada yada yada", but goat cheese and cilantro sound like great additions. How about smoked salmon, goat cheese, and some dill? Maybe shredded pork, sauteed mushrooms, and Swiss? Shredded beef or chicken, barbeque sauce and onion? Don't forget breakfast, the most important meal of the day (or so some have said!). My husband loves scrambled eggs, chorizo sausage, onions, and jalapenos in his breakfast wrap. One of my favorite wraps is bacon, avocado, shredded lettuce, and chopped tomato. You can't beat it!

Want to try Robert Bruce Magee's recipe? Here it is!

It's A Wrap

1/4 cup lean ground beef

1/4 cup grated cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chili beans (or kidney beans or pinto beans)

Rounded 1/4 teaspoon cumin seed

1 large flour tortilla

Brown ground beef thoroughly in lightly oiled small frying pan. While beef is browning, stir in cumin seed. Remove pan from heat. Heat tortilla on large dinner plate in microwave oven, about 15 seconds on high. (This makes the tortilla "damp" and flexible.) Spoon ground beef and cumin seed mixture in center, top with beans, then top again with cheese.

Fold both sides of tortilla toward center over ingredients. Roll tortilla forward and completely overturn it carefully, starting with end closest to you, holding previously folded sides in place as it goes. Once tortilla has done a "flip," fold the edge now farthest from you underneath it. You've got a wrap! Cover and heat in microwave - I use the "reheat" feature, which is low, for about 2 to 21/2 minutes. Serve.

The copyright of the article It's A Wrap! in Cooking with Children is owned by Donna Smith. Permission to republish It's A Wrap! in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.