Roasted Beet Wrap

December was a month of gluttony. Dozens upon dozens of cookies were laid to waste by my holiday appetite, and honestly, I don’t regret a single peanut butter blossom or cornflake wreath cookie. Food and family are what the season is all about for me, and if I can’t spend a few weeks a year consuming all manner of fattening treats without guilt, what’s the point of Christmas?

The only downside to this indulgence is that my clothes are not quite fitting like they should, and I can’t afford to purchase a new wardrobe if I gain a few more pounds. In response, I decided to get back to healthy meals by following the simple rules set forth by Michael Pollan: “Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” A roasted vegetable wrap featuring beets, turnips, arugula, hummus, and more seemed like the perfect fit—a recreation of a wrap I had a few weeks before at Angelica Kitchen in the East Village—and it kept well for leftovers throughout the week. 

Roasted Beet Wrap
Makes 4 servings
-4 medium beets
-3 turnips
-1 medium zucchini
-1 cup sprouts
-4 cups arugula
-1 cup hummus
-4 whole wheat wraps
-Dill pickles to taste
-1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
-1 tbs. olive oil
-Salt and pepper to taste
*Turnips and zucchini can be switched out for vegetables of your choice.

1) Preheat oven to 400°.

2) Wash and dry the beets, then loosely wrap them in aluminum foil in groups of three. Place them on a baking sheet covered with foil and roast for 1 hour.

3) During the first half-hour of roasting, wash, peel, and cut the turnips into 1″ cubes. Cut the zucchini into 1″ cubes as well.

4) Toss the turnips and zucchini in a bowl with 1 tbs. olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Once the beets have been roasting for a half-hour, spread the zucchini and turnips on the beet baking sheet and place the back in the oven. Roast for the remaining half-hour or until the vegetables are tender.

5) Once the beets have cooled down a bit, peel them by rubbing the skin off with your fingers (you may want to wear and apron and gloves). Remove the tops of the beets and cut into cubes, then place them in a bowl and toss with balsamic vinegar.

6) Allow the vegetables to cool until they are just a bit warm and start to construct your wrap (the amounts are up to you, but I use the following proportions). Spread 1/4 cup hummus on the wrap, then top with 1 cup of arugula, 1/3 cup roasted vegetables, a sprinkling of sprouts, and 5-6 dill pickle chips. Wrap them up, slice in half, and serve.