Crudite Roll-Up

 

Now that the holidays (and all of their indulgent foods) are gone, I suppose it's time to get back to a few healthier recipes.  Which isn't easy to do when the windchill outside is -30º and all you want is something warm and hearty.  Isn't it part of evolution that the colder it is, the more our body wants to eat heavy foods and pack on fat?  No?  That's just for animals who actually live outside in the elements?  Ah, well, fresh veggies it is.  (But fear not, with Valentine's Day coming up, I'm sure there are sweets in our future.)  I really liked this recipe because it has the crunchy veggies of your choice, but also the cold, smooth ranch, and a finger-food package.  Perfect for parties, and much easier to eat than veggies with actual dip on top (plus, you can avoid double-dippers!).  If you want to make it more of a wrap, just throw a handful of lettuce in before rolling it up and you've got lunch!

But, speaking of the cold, our furnace broke last week (on New Year's Day to be exact... how convenient), and while it wasn't -30, the temperatures were in the 20s and things got chilly!  I stayed in the house for the first night with Jake and Buster, but bailed on them the second night and went to sleep at my Dad's house  where Lily was smart enough to already be staying.  With the inside of the house the same temperature as the outside at this point, Jake and Buster used an electric blanket to keep warm, but Jake didn't seem to understand that it uses a timer, so at 3am the blanket turned off and he and Buster were on their own.  At least Jake got to be underneath; poor Buster was laying on top of the blanket and was probably shivering his tail off.  Poor guy.  But all is resolved now, and somehow the pipes never froze before being emptied and the animal rescuers weren't alerted to the short-haired dog being held against his will in frigid conditions.  So, I guess in the end it was a success... though I think coming back home from the spoils of Bobo's house was a colder shock for Lily than the thermostat. Rules?  What rules?

Crudite Roll-Up

4 burrito-size flour tortillas 8 ounces cream cheese, softened 1/4 cup sour cream 1 packet ranch dressing mix 5 cups diced fresh vegetables that you would dip into ranch (carrots, de-seeded tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, etc.) Lettuce, optional, if you want to make more of a wrap

In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix.  Mix all of the vegetables in another bowl.

Lay out the 4 tortillas and spread an even layer of the cream cheese mix on each one, leaving about half an inch edge around the outside.  Cover with about 1 1/4 cup of fresh vegetables on each wrap.  Tightly roll up the wrap.  

Then tightly roll the whole wrap in seran wrap to keep it tight and put in the fridge for at least an hour.

Take out of the fridge, remove seran wrap, and cut into slices that are about 1-2 inches thick.  If it helps, use toothpicks to hold the rolls together.  Serve chilled.

Source: L+K original