The Trimmier Life

If it weren’t for the accompanying picture in Clean Eating magazine, I would have NEVER tried this recipe after looking at the ingredients.  As a matter of fact, several times when reading the recipe I thought to myself “this can’t possibly be good”, but that glossy photo of the nicely sliced and stacked wrap kept pulling me back to the page for the Steakhouse Wrap Panini…so I gave in and said I’d give it a try.  Man, am I glad I did because this was one of the tastiest paninis I’ve ever eaten.  I’m betting you’ll think the ingredients (and processing thereof) are a little strange, but trust me, they compliment each other well.  This wrap held up well for leftovers too and I’m already planning to make extra next time I cook them so I’ll have some to take in my lunch.  Bon apetit!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sweet potatoes, peeled
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 2 cups baby spinach
• 2 large green onions, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
• 1 tbsp crumbled blue cheese
• 1/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
• 8 oz flank steak
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika (I had never used smoked paprika – it’s DELICIOUS!)
• 4 large whole-wheat or multi-grain wraps, each about 12 inches in diameter (we used spinach wraps)

Directions:Preheat oven to 425°F.  place a sheet pan in the oven as it warms.

• Quarter sweet potatoes, cutting each in half lengthwise and then in half lengthwise again.  Cut each quarter into 4 think wedges.
• Remove hot pan from oven and brush with oil
• lay potato wedges in an even layer across pan
• Transfer potatoes to oven and bake for 25 minutes, flipping them over halfway through until both sides start to brown
• Remove potatoes from oven and set aside

• While potatoes are cooking, in a blender, add spinach, onions, blue cheese and buttermilk
• Blend until completely smooth, pulsing, scraping the sides and stirring as needed
• Refrigerate sauce until ready to use

• Sprinkle both sides of flank steak with pepper and paprika and rub spices all over surface of meat
• Place stead on a broiler pan
• Turn on broiler and place place ban on highers rack in over, beneath broiler, for 5 minutes
• Flip meat over and broil for 5 more minutes, until cooked to medium
• Let steak rest for 5 minutes before slicing it very thinly against the grain

• Place 4-8 potato wedges in center of each wrap.  Top with quarter of stead, then drizzle 3 tbsp spinach blue-cheese cause over top
• Pull bottom third of wrap over filling and then fold ends in.  Continue to roll wrap forward onto itself, like a burrito, until the filling is entirely enveloped in the wrap
• Place wrap on a hot panini press, seam-side-down.
• Press wrap for 2 minutes or according to the directions for your press so that you toast the outside of the wrap
• Cut wrap in half diagonally and serve

Calories: 304, Total Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.5g, Carbs: 37g, Fiber: 5g, Protein: 19g, Sodium: 303mg, Cholesterol: 21mg

Clockwise from top left: the electric green spinach blue-cheese sauce, starting to assemple the panini, pressing/grilling the panini, the finished product