Tortilla Wraps

We were all students then.  I remember, my friend, Smitha, and her husband had thrown a party in celebration of their first son's first birthday.  Smitha had planned a wonderful menu complete with starters and salad; she had cooked for about 40 people almost single-handedly.

Back in those days, I was an amateur cook, which means I could make rice and random concoctions of stews.   Needless to mention, I could not even have fathomed what it took to take care of a one year old.  I offered to help, and turned up at her place late in the morning on the day of the party, thinking it was all a day's work.

Now I realize the amount of work she must have done.  With a one year old around, any work that you would normally do in an hour would take two or more.  Cooking being a process that you cannot stop and restart anytime you have an interruption, it could become an endless task.

The party was a huge success.  Thanks to Smitha.  We had not had such tasty food in aeons, let alone Indian food.  I am not taking away credit from her husband and her friends who gave a hand; it is just that, their efforts were minuscule in comparison.

She has since been an inspiration in more ways than one and a role model to me.

I still remember the taste of the tortilla wraps she had made.  We had brought the leftovers home and we were hogging on the wraps all morning the next day.  Ten years later, I asked her for the recipe a week before my son's third birthday party and she promptly shared it with me.

Here is an adapted version:

Ingredients

5 tortillas (or chapathi)

Cheese Filling:

10 tbsp Mexican Cheese Blend (Monteray Jack, Cheddar, Queso Quesedilla, Asadero)

Filling:

1 tomato (cored and seeded)

1/2 green bell pepper

1/2 red onion

1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt

Chop and toss above ingredients, and let it sit for 10 minutes.  Drain.

Spread:

1 tbsp cream cheese

3 tbsp sour cream

Mix above ingredients and stir until smooth.

Cook tortillas.  Spread cream cheese - sour cream mixture in a thin layer on each, spread the filling and the cheese mix.  Roll it up.  Or, cut each tortilla in half and make conical wraps.

Bake, covered with an aluminium foil, in the oven for 15 minutes at 350 F.

I got the idea of using sour cream and cream cheese mixture, to keep the tortillas soft and seal the wraps, from here:
http://www.grumpyshoneybunch.com/2012/12/fiesta-tortilla-roll-bites.html#axzz2W8CM5rFN