With Lucas’s birthday, Father’s day, and plenty of other occasions that necessitate dessert, there’s been no shortage of sweets around these parts. I mean, you can’t just let leftover ganache go to waste…so, of course, I had to make some vanilla cupcakes to serve with it. And when I accidentally doubled the oatmeal raisin cookie recipe for Lucas’s dad (post to come), I couldn’t just let the extra morsels get stale…so, of course, I had to eat a couple with lunch. You know, so I wouldn’t be wasteful. I think it goes without saying that we could afford to cut down on fatty sugary foods for a week (or at least a night). And who better to look to for inspiration than my pescatarian-minus-dairy big brother Justin. In addition to a master at flavorful vegetable-filled quinoa sans recipe, Justin’s second specialty is vegan wraps.

When we go back home to visit, my mom stocks the fridge and pantry for our arrival. For me, she knows to pick up fruit snacks, parmesan cheese, and Skinny Cow ice cream bars. For Lucas, a big box of Cheez-It crackers and Reed’s ginger beer. And for Justin: tortillas, hummus, tofurkey, olives and assorted fresh veggies. Clearly one of us is healthier than the others. Hint: it isn’t me or Lucas. Justin survives off some version of this wrap while he’s in town and packs one for just about every weekday lunch I’m told. Since I eat meat and dairy, I don’t dig into his supply of vegan ingredients too often, but on our trip to Whistler in April, he reluctantly shared a couple bites of his concoction. It was totally healthy, entirely vegan, but 100% delicious and flavorful, even for meat-eaters. So when I needed a cleansing healthy meal to rescue my body from two weeks of desserts, I called up Justin to find out exactly what goes into these magically tasty wraps. Let me start by saying that he’s much more nonchalant about his recipes, “a little of this, maybe some of that, and you could add this, but you don’t need it, and if you want, some of that, or just whatever you think would be good. and don’t forget Sriracha.”  And at the end of the conversation, he was so appalled to find out that I didn’t own a bottle of Sriracha that he may have disowned me as his relative.

Lucas is always a little wary when I try to swap out his steak and roast beef with soy substitutes, and this wrap was no exception. He’s training for a marathon, how could a little fake meat possibly fill him up? But once he bit down, his tune changed. Not only did the Sriracha sauce make his tastebuds dance, but the peppered tofurkey added another layer of spice and provided plenty of protein to keep him going. My re-creation was every bit as delicious as my brother’s daily lunch, and it left me feeling much better about my crazy-go-wild sugary diet last week. As an added bonus, this satisfying and refreshing wrap takes less than five minutes, which makes it perfect for either a speedy portable lunch or a satisfying weeknight dinner. You can play around with different vegetable add-ins, but this combination of sprouts, cucumber, and  black olives told a yummy unforgettable story.

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