Collard Wraps are one of my go to lunch staples for work, flights or the beach...I find four or five wraps usually fills me up and gives me gorgeous energy. I looooove when people come up to me at my airport gate and ask me where I bought em and I have to tell them I brought them from home. This collard wrap recipe is full of protein, nutrients and fiber. My collard wraps are an anti inflammatory food that will fight disease and keep your waistline cute. Don't skip the sprouts...they are like natures multi vitamin!
Ingredients for the Wrap
Raw collards - one bunch
Carrots
Watercress
Sweet Pea Shoots or any other Sprout you like
Red or Orange bell pepper
Ingredients for the Nut Cheese Spread
1 cup of RAW almonds (soaked overnite)
1 big bunch of fresh basil (approx 25 leaves)
1-2 limes
Sea Salt
Olive oil or flax seed oil.
Directions
Soak 1 cup of raw almonds overnight in a glass bowl (soaking in plastic raises your estrogen as plastic emulates estrogen in our bodies. For women that leads to anything from big hips to breast cancer and for men it leads to anything from man boobs to prostate cancer). The next day drain, rinse and throw your almonds into a vitamix or food processor.
Tear or cut up a big ole bunch of fresh basil and throw that in.
Squeeze the juice of one lime (sometimes two depending on your taste) into the vitamix and add some sea salt (to taste). I personally love a lot of salt in this recipe.
Now drizzle olive or flax seed oil in. I suggest about 1/4 of a cup although I am not one to measure everything. Instead I add things in slowly until taste and texture are right. Blend, blend, blend.
If you are using a vitamix you will need that black additional plunger piece to encourage the mixture to blend. Add more oil or a splash of water if its not being cooperative, careful you keep this like a hummus texture not a soup consistency.
De-stem each collard which will effectively give you two wraps for every collard leaf! This means you cut the stem out by slicing down the right side of the stem then down the left side of the stem tip to tip.
Use a mandolin or very sharp knife to shred your carrots and peppers.
Rinse and set aside your watercress and sprouts.
Trust me you need the sweetness of carrots and orange bell pepper to offset the bitterness of collard and spicyness of watercress...together all these flavors blend PERFECTLY!
Now take a big heaping tablespoon of your almond "cheese" and spread it on each collard leaf on the non shiny side of your collard. In the center of your collard place a little bit of each of your shredded veggies and your watercress and sprouts. Now roll like a burrito, tucking one end of the collard on the inside of the roll and set aside.
Tip: when you take these to-go lay your wraps shoulder to shoulder in a small glass container with lid or wrap tightly in tin foil...they will fall apart if you try to travel with them in a zip lock baggie.
Now lets say you are just getting back into self care and the ingredients I am suggesting sound just a little to plant based for you. Honey just de-stem those raw collards and instead do mayo, salt, pepper, turkey, cheese and lettuce...or egg salad or tuna salad. The collard is great way to get some carbs out of your life via bread and wraps and an even smarter way to get in more veggies.
