As spring approaches, the variety of organic vegetables increases, providing ample and delicious opportunities to eat healthy foods. Eating a diet that’s high in dark leafy greens and fresh, raw vegetables has amazing health benefits, including weight loss, lowered cholesterol, and increased energy and vitality.
For vegans, raw foodists or carb-conscious eaters, fresh collard or cabbage leaves are a tasty alternative to store-bought flour tortilla wraps. Simply chop up some of your favorite veggies, top with your favorite dressing or nut paste, wrap in a collard leaf, and go! The recipe, below, is simply a suggestion—there are as many options for creating raw veggie wraps as there are vegetables.
Ingredients
Wrap and filling:
- 3-6 freshly washed collard or cabbage leaves (look for kale leaves that are very fresh dark green and pliable enough to roll)
- 2-4 carrots, julienned
- 1-2 red, orange or yellow peppers, julienned
- 1 cup of snow pea shoots or other sprouts
- 1 avocado, sliced
Nut paste:*
- ½ cup pine nuts, unsoaked
- 1 cup walnuts, soaked (2-4 hours)
- 1 ½ tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon ginger juice
- 1 tablespoon garam masala or yellow curry powder
- ½ tablespoon Celtic or Himalaya salt
- ½ tablespoon garlic, minced
- ¼ tablespoon fresh ground pepper
- Toothpicks
- Garnish: chopped basil, parsley, or cilantro
*nut paste inspired by Dr. Gabriel Cousens’ “Bok Choy Paneer” recipe, found in Rainbow Green Live-Food Cuisine
Directions for Assembling
- Soak walnuts 2-4 hours prior to food preparation by covering nuts with distilled or spring water in a bowl.
- After the walnuts have soaked, place them in a food processor or blender. Add pine nuts, lemon juice, ginger, spices, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix with the “S” blade until creamy and smooth. It may be necessary to add a few tablespoons of water to increase the creaminess.
- Chop and wash all vegetables according to instructions (for the carrots and peppers, “julienned” means cutting into long, thin strips).
- Take one collard or cabbage leaf from the batch. If the middle stem of the collard leaf is very thick, use a knife to remove all or part of the stem, because the stem will be too tough to chew.
- Thinly spread nut paste on one side of the leaf. Once the leaf is covered with a thin layer of nut paste, assemble the vegetables in neat rows on one edge (place on the side covered with nut paste). Using two hands slowly roll the collard leaf so that it wraps firmly around the vegetables, creating a tight, firm roll.
- Using a toothpick or a long strip of collard greens, secure or tie the wrap in place. Garnish with fresh sprouts, cilantro or basil, eat with two hands, and enjoy!
- Serves 4-6.
Veggie wraps are a great “to go” dish for vegetarians because they’re easy to make and stay fresh for many hours. Creating your own nut paste is an easy, healthy way to skip dairy, and the flavor can be changed by simply substituting the curry with a different spice like chipotle pepper or basil. Experiment with a variety of tastes and textures using your favorite fresh veggies, dressings, or spreads.
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