Cannelini Bean and Avocado Salad Wraps (or Sandwiches)

I must say, it's been 4 days and I have yet to recieve any wine or comments from my readers! You guys are out there...aren't you? Am I just sending out my life and wit into a faceless void? Anyone...? Hello...? Bueller...?

Well, to those of who who may or may not be there...as you all know (or at least should know if you're reading this blog), I've been a vegetarian for 3 months now. It hasn't always been easy but I'd say it's worth it. Obviously I've had opportunities to eat meat but I stuck to my guns and ordered salads or beans instead. However, as you may not know, I was a vegetarian for roughly 5 years during my teenage years. Wanna know what broke me? A gyro. I will always have a soft spot for those deliciously spiced beef and lamb sandwiches!

Anyway, when I was a vegetarian before I wasn't thinking that I needed to substitute meat for other things. Instead I just left protein out. I ate an awful lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. Idiotic, I know. So I wasn't even getting a smidgen of the protein my body needed to sustain itself. Now that I'm older and ideally less idiotic, I am making sure my meals are packed full of protein and supplement my intake with multi-vitamins, protein granola oh and protein ice cream. Where were all these things a decade ago?

Last night I decided to go through my pantry and was bit by the inspiration bug: Cannellini Bean and Avocado Salad.

Cannellini Bean and Avocado Salad Wraps (or Sandwiches)

 * The sauce on the plate is hot sauce for my fries but did add a nice vinegar-y bite to the salad

1 can cannellini beans, washed and drained
1 avocado, diced
1 Tbsp cream cheese
Juice of 1/2 lime
10 pickled jalapeno rounds, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste
Pinch garlic powder
Pinch red chile powder, optional
Whole wheat tortillas (for serving)
Whole wheat bread (for serving)
 2 C spinach, optional (for serving)

Place diced avocado and washed and drained beans in a bowl. Mash with a potato masher until the mixture is combined with a few chunks. I prefer my food to have a little texture but obviously I'm not the mashing police, do whatever you like. It's not like I'll ever know.

Add in the cream cheese, lime, jalapenos and seasonings and fold in to combine.  Do a seasoning check and spread onto your choice of tortilla or toasted bread and top with a generous heaping helping of spinach leaves.

This recipe packs a protein punch, was fresh, light and perfect for a Friday night dinner after a day chock-full of indulgence (bowl of cereal for breakfast, plain bagel with cream cheese for a morning snack, macaroni and cheese and hush puppies for lunch; oh and absolutely no exercise).

I hope you have a lovely Saturday and are staying cool out there today! Remember to drink lots of water, lather up with sun screen anytime you go outside, and remember to think of your furry friends before you take them out for walks! If the sidewalk burns your feet, it's definitely going to burn theirs! Also, don't forget your pets or children in cars. It's just bad parenting.

Stay tuned for some delicious recipes! I haven't finalized what I'm feeding myself for dinner tonight but I have plenty of options! Bye readers!