Italian Style Veggie Wraps

Real estate waits for no one. I showed 6 houses this week in neighborhoods where the asking prices climb like the temperature. Every showing is a conversation about what home means. Every key I hand over is a story beginning.

Sophia came home with an invitation to the honors program and announced it with the casual confidence of a girl who expects excellence from herself and receives it. She has Nikos's pride — the kind that pretends not to care while caring so fiercely it has its own gravitational field.

I am 49 years old and I have learned that life is not a straight line from A to B. It is a moussaka — layers of different things, some planned, some accidental, all held together by heat and time and the stubborn refusal to fall apart.

I made a massive horiatiki tonight — tomatoes, cucumbers, red onion, Kalamata olives, a slab of feta. No lettuce. Never lettuce. I served it with bread and olive oil — always too much olive oil, because in this family there is no such thing as too much. We ate and the conversation was easy and the evening was warm.

Sophia told me this week that she is proud of me. I was not expecting it. We were in the car, driving to Tarpon Springs for Sunday dinner, and she said Mom, I am proud of you. I said for what. She said for everything. For the bakery. For the houses. For making dinner every night even when you are tired. I gripped the steering wheel and blinked and said thank you, koritsi mou. She said do not cry. I did not cry. Much.

The horiatiki fed us that night, but the recipe I keep coming back to when I need the table to feel easy and the cooking to feel like rest — not a project — is this one. These Italian Style Veggie Wraps have the same spirit as that salad: fresh things, good olive oil, no fuss, and something bright to look at after a long week. Sophia can assemble her own, which she will do with the same quiet confidence she brings to everything, and I can stand at the counter and breathe for a moment before we sit down together.

Prep Time: 15 minutes | Cook Time: 10 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

4 large flour tortillas (10-inch)
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced lengthwise
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced
4 oz fresh mozzarella, sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil leaves
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

Heat the grill pan. Heat a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Brush the zucchini, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and red onion slices with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning.
Grill the vegetables. Working in batches, grill the seasoned vegetables for 3 to 4 minutes per side until tender and lightly charred. Remove from heat and set aside.
Make the dressing. Whisk together the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and garlic powder in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Warm the tortillas. Warm the flour tortillas one at a time in the grill pan for about 30 seconds per side, or wrap them in a damp paper towel and microwave for 20 seconds, until pliable.
Assemble the wraps. Lay each tortilla flat and layer with grilled vegetables, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers, fresh mozzarella, and basil leaves. Drizzle with the balsamic dressing.
Wrap and serve. Fold in the sides of each tortilla, then roll tightly from the bottom up. Slice diagonally and serve immediately, with extra dressing on the side if desired.

Nutrition (per serving)

Italian Style Veggie Wraps — When the Evening Asks for Something Simple and Good