Tortilla Pinwheels

Ham salad tortilla pinwheels

I love this recipe because it's easy, a great way to use odds and ends that are in the fridge, you can make them ahead for pot luck events, and the presentation impresses people.

When I made these for this post, I had some ham salad on hand, but you can do this with sliced cold cuts, fresh veggies, and numerous salads and spreads.

You start with a large flour tortilla, spread your favorite variety of goodness on it, roll it nice and tight (think sushi without needing a mat or to be an expert). Then when ready to serve, you slice it into beautiful little tortilla pinwheels.

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When I made these, I had some very basic mildly seasoned ham salad on hand. I wanted to spice it up a bit so spread some horseradish on the tortilla followed by a drizzle of balsamic glaze concentrate (that was Salt, Fat Acid, Heat inspired). Next I spread the ham salad to cover most of the wrap.

A couple of things of note.... because I was planning to serve these right away, I didn't bother lining the tortilla with some kind of greens to keep it from getting soggy, and I chose the plain vs spinach or tomato tortilla solely for aesthetics as I like the way the pink of the salad looks with the color of the tortilla.

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The next step is to roll them as tightly as you can. If serving immediately, you can use a serrated knife with a sawing motion to slice the log into bite-sized pinwheels.

If you're planning to serve them later, it's best to first wrap them in a piece of wax paper, and then in plastic wrap to seal them sightly.

Then when it's time to serve, you simply unwrap and slice. For me, this is a favorite way to pack a gourmet feeling lunch or snack for picnics, sailing, or the beach. With a half decent plastic knife you can cut the slices when ready to serve.

There is really no limit to the fillings you can use.

Think:

Thinly sliced cold cuts with or without green and you favorite spread.

Hummus;

Any meat or shellfish salad as long as it's finely chopped;

Herbed cream cheese with thinly sliced fresh veggies or spinach. The list goes on.... I used to make them with spinach and artichoke dip for lunch for my kid's lunches.

THE RECIPE:

Flour tortilla shells

Filling of your choice for salads, 1/3 - 1/2 cup per large tortilla shell

Or sliced cold cuts

Greens to line the tortilla if storing before serving (I like softer greens like spinach basil, or arugula)

Spread to season the tortilla, 1/2 to 1 tablespoon per large tortilla

Assembly is easy and fun.

Start with any spread like horseradish, mayo, mustard, or glaze and spread a thin coating on the tortilla.

• If using greens, lay a single layer to cover the tortilla

• For salad filling, spread it evenly to within a 1/2 inch of the edges of the tortilla.

• For sliced meat and cheese, layer thin slices to cover the tortilla in a double layer.

• If using hummus or cream cheese and maybe adding some fresh shredded or super thin slices veggies, spread 1/3 - 1/2 cup and press ingredients unto the spread

Roll the tortilla as tightly as you can without making the fillings gush out. (some might ooze, and that's OK.

If the log wants to unroll, use either some of your initial spread or dampen your fingers with some water and use it to moisten the edge of the tortilla to help it stick to itself.

If serving right away, slice into 3/4" inch pinwheels and set on a plate to serve.They look great sitting on a bed of greens!

If you're saving them for future use, wrap each one in wax paper first and then tightly in plastic wrap until you're ready to slice and serve them.

If I'm taking several of them to a party or even the beach, I put the wrapped logs in a sealed zipper bag to travel.

Thought for food..... the finer your salad is ground, the better it works. And thy sky's the limit on fillings. I have drained and presses (in a mesh strainer) bruschetta, then mashed it with small bits of fresh mozzarella into a spread and assembled the tortilla over a bed of arugula with balsamic glaze. Pretty yummy. I am not a fan of brie, but for those who are, consider your favorites fruit preserve with the brie on a bed of watercress.