Wrap Replica

Last weekend, our little family took a trip to the “waterpark capital of the world”. I think it is safe to say that we are creatures of habit. We stayed at the same resort, with the same great friends and even went to dinner at the same restaurant that we went to the last time we made the trip. And just like the last time, I found something at the restaurant that I wanted to recreate at home!

I’m starting to think that it might just be easier if they open one of these restaurants closer to where I live. I mean, there were four adults in our little group and I would happily order each of the meals we had for myself; Philly Cheesesteak on Monday, Buffalo Chicken Wrap on Tuesday, Grilled Chicken Bruschetta Salad on Wednesday, and Santa Fe Wrap on Thursday. And yes, I could still go on Friday and have a hard time choosing between the Rueben and El Cubano… It’s not fancy food but sure is delicious!

The meal I wanted to recreate at home was the Santa Fe Wrap. This is what I had ordered for myself and I was still thinking about on our drive home the next day. I’m not even sure which element to start with! This baby had grilled chicken, bean and corn salsa, lettuce, tomato, avocado, dressed with spicy ranch and wrapped in a perfectly warmed tomato-basil tortilla. It was awesome! The awesome-sauce was most definitely the spicy ranch. I searched for a copycat recipe on this stuff because I absolutely love it. No dice on that search but the quest is now on!

So, making this at home, it’s not the same… But it is still delicious, I have zero complaints. I started off with a simple marinade for the chicken. I love marinating before grilling, especially boneless, skinless chicken because it is so easy to dry them out on a grill. Next up, I mixed up a bean and corn salsa. One thing I love about this part is the leftovers! Tomorrow, I can chop a tomato and maybe half an avocado. Toss those in there and grab my tortilla chips; yummy! The last component (other than the “fixin’s”) is the spicy ranch. I went nice and simple by taking my favorite ranch dressing that lives in my fridge and added a finely chopped chipotle pepper with some adobo sauce. It makes some tasty ranch with a nice,

smoky heat to it but it’s not the spicy ranch that I had at the restaurant.

The other thing I missed was the tortilla from the restaurant. I bought tomato-basil tortillas and they have great flavor but they just didn’t hold up. How do restaurants do it? Wrap these babies up so tight without having a blow out? It must be some Jedi skill (I seem to have a little residual May the Fourth nerdiness going on… like maybe a light saber is the best way to slice a wrap too).

Anyway, where was I? Oh yes, so other than the need for extra napkins, these wraps turned into a lovely spring meal on the deck. Paired with a cold beer and lime, life is good today!

 Southwest Chicken Wrap with Chipotle Ranch

Chicken:

1 lb chicken breast, fileted

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup olive oil

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Salsa:

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn

2 Tbs chopped red onion

Juice of 1/2 lime

1/2 Tbs chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp kosher salt

Chipotle Ranch:

1-2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

1/2 cup prepared ranch dressing

Additional adobo sauce, to taste

The Wrap:

4 tomato basil wraps

Lettuce, chopped

Tomatoes, diced

Avocado, diced

Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Place all chicken ingredients in resealable bag. Marinade 4 – 6 hours.

Prepare salsa by combining all ingredients. Allow flavors to blend for at least an hour before serving.

To make chipotle ranch, finely mince (or smash) the peppers. Mix into ranch dressing and add adobo sauce until desired level of heat is reached. Set aside.

When it is time to eat, grill chicken breast over medium heat until internal temperature reaches 160°F. Allow to rest 5 – 10 minutes before slicing.

Assemble wraps and serve.