This summery sandwich wrap features some of my favorite ingredients: roasted sweet potatoes, creamy avocados, crunchy greens and sweet onions, and lentils doused in sweet and tangy barbecue sauce. Serve this wondrous wrap with fresh fruit (and perhaps some peanut butter oat chocolate chip cookies) and you have all the makings of a delicious and healthy late spring picnic.

If you’re in the U.S., you might be planning for a long holiday weekend. Memorial Day weekend is a popular time for barbecues, picnics, and parties. We are planning to do some veggie grilling this weekend, but these wraps are sure to make an appearance as well. Happily, temperatures are supposed to creep into “summer” territory again over the next few days. I’m already starting to crave bright, fresh flavors and crunchy textures, and this wrap certainly fits the bill.

These wraps come together quickly if you happen to be the type that cooks up a big batch of legumes and grains to use for the week. Occasionally, I play the part of the organized cook, and do just that. When I have a large container of ready-to-use beans and grains conveniently waiting in the fridge, lunches and even dinners are a breeze. I don’t do this very often, I admit, but I wish I did! Other tips for getting this wrap on your picnic table and into your belly ASAP? Chop your sweet potato into small chunks, so it roasts quickly. Also, although a homemade bbq sauce would be delicious, using a store-bought sauce will obviously save you some time.

I made and photographed these wraps about 4 weeks ago with the intentions of developing a tasty homemade barbecue sauce to use in the recipe. My idea was to post the bbq sauce recipe, then the wrap recipe. As per usual, I did things bass-ackwards I got ahead of myself, and just decided to roll out the wrap and get to the barbecue sauce later. All in good time, friends.

Enjoy your weekend and happy picnicking!

BBQ Lentil Collard Wraps with Roasted Sweet Potatoes, Onions and Avocados

Makes 2-4 wraps depending on how large your collard leaves are

• 1 cup cooked quinoa
• 1 cup cooked green lentils
• 1 large sweet potato, cut into small chunks and roasted (season as desired)
• 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
• 1 small avocado, pitted, sliced and scooped
• 1/4 cup store-bought or homemade bbq sauce
• large collard leaves, washed and dried (see “notes” for other variations)

Instructions:

1. Cook your quinoa and lentils according to package instructions. Roast sweet potatoes in an oven pre-heated to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes or more (length of time will depend on size of cubes).

2. Stir bbq sauce into cooked lentils. Assemble the wraps by layering a scoop of quinoa, a scoop of lentils, a sprinkle of onions, and a few slices of avocado, and drizzling on a bit more bbq sauce. Fold both ends in and then fold over the side closest to you, and roll the wrap away from you. I also cut it in half.

Notes:

1. I like using raw collard leaves for wraps, but I also tried blanching the collard greens very briefly, as I know some might find the raw leaves bitter and too crunchy/tough. Just bring a large pot of water to a boil, then dunk in the leaves. I only left them in the pot for about 30 seconds, then I immediately removed them and dunked them in ice cold water, then patted them dry. I liked them both ways, the blanched greens were still crisp, but just a tad thinner and slightly less “green” tasting and more neutral in flavor. The photos show the blanched version.

2. Like most of my recipes, this is just a rough guideline, an idea… and totally adaptable. Add tomatoes, cucumbers, more greens inside the wrap, or any other veggies your heart desires! Try using different beans… canned black beans would be even quicker than cooking up the lentils. Don’t like collard greens? Try making lettuce wraps instead using romaine or another large leaf lettuce.

Anyone have fun plans for the weekend (whether or not it’s a holiday for you)? I actually have to work this weekend… wah wahhh. I still hope to do some grilling and playing outdoors in the sunshine, though 🙂