Sneaky Chef

Boosted Buffalo Wings Wrap

by Missy Chase Lapine

This wrap has all the flavor and spice of classic buffalo wings, without the fatty wing skin. With the help of low-fat ricotta and White Puree, even the typically high-fat blue cheese dressing has been converted into a health food. These wraps can be made a day ahead and refrigerated.

1⁄4 cup Bountiful Blue Cheese Dressing (recipe below)

In a large bowl, mix together the blue cheese dressing, celery, chicken, and hot sauce. Spread half the chicken mixture onto the bottom third of each tortilla. Top with the lettuce leaves, if using. Fold the bottom quarter of each tortilla up and over the filling, fold both sides toward the middle, and roll into sealed packets. Tightly wrap the packets in parchment paper to secure. Voila!

Bountiful Blue Cheese Dressing (Makes about 1 cup of dressing)

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise
2 tablespoons White Puree (see Make-Ahead Recipe, below)
2 tablespoons part-skim ricotta cheese
1 to 2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1⁄3 cup blue cheese, crumbled

In a medium-size bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, White Puree, ricotta, garlic, lemon juice, and blue cheese. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

White Puree Make-Ahead Recipe (Makes about 2 cups of puree)

2 cups cauliflower florets (about 1⁄2 a small head)
2 small to medium zucchini, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tablespoons water, if necessary

Pour about 2 inches of water into a pot with a tight-fitting lid. Put a vegetable steamer basket into the pot, add the cauliflower, and steam for 10 to 12 minutes or until very tender. Drain. Alternatively, place the cauliflower in a microwave-safe bowl, cover the cauliflower with water, and microwave on high for 8 to 10 minutes or until very tender. Drain.

While cauliflower steams, pulse the raw peeled zucchini with the lemon juice (no water at this point) in your food processor. Once the cauliflower is cooked and tender, working in batches if necessary, add 1 tablespoon of water and some of the cauliflower to the food processor with the pulsed zucchini. Puree on high until smooth. Stop occasionally to push the contents to the bottom. If necessary, use another tablespoon of water to smooth out the puree, but the less water, the better.

This recipe makes about 2 cups of puree; double it if you want to store another 2 cups. It will keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or you can freeze 1⁄4-cup portions in sealed plastic bags or small plastic containers.

Missy Chase Lapine is the former publisher of Eating Well magazine. A mother of two young daughters, she knows how picky kids can be—and she’s got the kitchen experiments to prove it! She is on the Culinary Arts facility of The New School, in New York City, and also gives cooking classes and coaching to busy families hoping to learn how to eat healthier. Her book, The Sneaky Chef, is published by Running Press.  Her next book The Sneaky Chef: How to Cheat on Your Man (In the Kitchen) will be out in April 2008. You can learn more about Missy at her website, www.thesneakychef.com

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