Lunch with Weelicious: Veggie Tortilla Roll-Up + Peach Fruit Leather

In celebration of her new book, we're excited to sit down with weelicious.com founder Catherine McCord and get a sneak peek at Weelicious Lunches. And we couldn't ask for better timing since we're stocking our fridge and pantry to make healthy school lunches! To get us started and help us think outside the lunch box, Catherine is sharing two recipes that are guaranteed "happier" meals.

Veggie Tortilla Roll-ups

Whenever I make homemade hummus, the kids can predict what will be in their lunch boxes the next day: veggie rolls made with scoopfuls of this creamy spread. With one of my kids already leaning toward becoming vegetarian, these tortilla roll-ups are a protein-packed, tasty lunchtime lifesaver.

Ingredients 

*Makes 4 servings

• ½ cup hummus
• 4 whole-wheat tortillas
• 2 medium carrots, peeled and grated (about 1 cup)
• 1 avocado, sliced

Directions

1. Spread 2 tablespoons hummus on each tortilla, taking care to cover the edges, since the hummus will act as a glue to hold the wrap together.

2. Sprinkle ¼ cup of the grated carrots along the closest edge of each tortilla, and lay a quarter of the avocado slices on top of the carrots.

3. Roll up, slice in half diagonally, and serve.

Peach Fruit Leather

One of the great sights and smells of summer for me is a big basket of fresh peaches. Our family is so fond of eating them that I tend to go a bit overboard at the farmers’ market every Sunday and buy way more than we could possibly consume in a week. Unless we want to eat peaches for every meal, there’s nothing really to be done except . . . make fruit leather! You should just see how excited my kids get for this homemade fruit leather. They go through it so quickly that I tend to make about three batches a week, but one of the best things about this recipe is that it stays good for weeks, if not months.

Ingredients

* Makes 7 long strips

• 4 cups chopped organic peaches, skin on (about 4 ripe peaches)
• 1 tablespoon organic honey

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to its lowest setting, around 175°F (135°F if using a dehydrator).

2. Place the peaches and honey in a blender and puree until smooth.

3. Pour the mixture onto a Silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet and use the back of a spoon or spatula to spread it very evenly into a large rectangle, about 11 x 15 inches.

4. Bake for 3 to 4 hours, or until the fruit leather is dry and not sticky to the touch. Remember, baking times will vary depending on how thick you spread your mixture and how much water (juice) is naturally in the fruit. The leather should be dry to the touch, not burned, if you’re using an oven. The time could be as little as 2 hours if your oven runs hot. (If you’re using a dehydrator, cook for 5 hours or until dry to the touch.)

5. Cool at room temperature; it takes several hours for the fruit to soften up. When you first take the fruit leather out of the oven, the edges will be a bit dry and crispy, but if you allow it to sit overnight it softens up nicely.

6. Using a knife, pizza cutter, or scissors, cut the leather into seven 2-inchwide- by-14-inch-long strips, keeping the paper on, if desired. Roll the leather into fruit roll-ups.

Tip: If you have a dehydrator, this is the perfect time to use it!

~ Catherine McCord of Weelicious + Weelicious Lunches

Recipes and images courtesy of Catherine McCord and Weelicious Lunches.