Cast Iron

Sesame, Quinoa & all-the-Greens Power Wrap

by:
January 28, 2014
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0 Ratings
  • Serves 4-6
Author Notes

I am a big fan of multi-purpose recipes. With a busy schedule and more than one person to feed, I love to be able to use a recipe for multiple meals and occasions. Especially when it involves greens! In the summer I grow kale and collards in our urban garden and by the end of the season I'm searching for new ways to enjoy every last leaf. With the cold and snow of winter I can't get enough green in every meal — it is the best natural cold-fighter and makes me (and my body) feel light and happy even when I'm bundled up waiting for spring to arrive again.

There are four great things about this recipe —
1) It can serve as three different meals or snacks when used as its separate parts.
2) It can be done in stages (make the sesame, kale, nori crunch one day use the napa cabbage or collards sitting in your fridge to make wraps the next day) so you don't have to commit to tons of time in the kitchen if you're an on the go type of person.
3) It's simple to make and can be adapted for each season, to suit your tastes or using whatever you have in the fridge.
4) It's packed with minerals, calcium, folic acid and protein. And it's gluten free, wheat free and sugar free so people on the healthy bandwagon or those with allergies will gobble it up. Plus it's absolutely delicious and will surely impress any guests or kids in the 'how can something this fresh and healthy be so pretty and delicious' kind of way!

The baked sesame, kale and nori is an awesome snack for kids, condiment or a trail-mix alternative for athletes. The sautéed greens and quinoa is a perfect lunch (also excellent with sesame crunch topping) or as a side dish for dinner along with a piece of fish. And of course the end product of the green power wraps are the best snack, lunch, appetizer or even fun kitchen activity for children. Plus, there's nothing like making sure there are nutrient rich dark leafy greens packed in every course of every meal, right? Right.
Avalyne

What You'll Need
Ingredients
  • sesame seeds, ground flax, hemp seeds, kale, nori, sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, rice syrup, sea salt
  • 1/2 cup sesame seeds
  • 2 tablespoons ground flax
  • 1 tablespoon hemp seeds
  • 1 kale leaf (large)
  • 1 sheet of nori
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 2 tablespoons maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon rice syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • quinoa, garlic, fresh ginger, tamari, oil (sesame or olive), fresh ground pepper, whole leaves of napa cabbage or collards plus a variety of leafy greens (I used: green kale, tuscan kale, red kale, rapini but I'm sure the addition of collards, watercress,
  • 1 cup quinoa
  • 2 cups curly kale (chopped)
  • 2 cups tuscan kale (chopped)
  • 2 cups red kale (chopped)
  • 2 cups rapini (chopped)
  • 2 tablespoons garlic (about 3 cloves, crushed)
  • 2 teaspoons ginger (about 2 inches, pealed and minced)
  • 1 tablespoon tamari
  • 2 tablespoons oil (olive or sesame)
  • 8-10 large and whole leaves of napa cabbage or collard greens
  • 1 carrot
  • 1 beet
Directions
  1. sesame seeds, ground flax, hemp seeds, kale, nori, sesame oil, tamari, maple syrup, rice syrup, sea salt
  2. Preheat oven to 350ºF
  3. Chop kale into very fine pieces and place in a small mixing bowl.
  4. Cut nori into slivers and add to mixing bowl (I recommend using clean kitchen scissors for cutting).
  5. Add sesame seeds, flax and hemp and stir a few times so ingredients are combined.
  6. Mix all wet ingredients (plus sea salt) in a small jar. Shake until combined, then pour over sesame mixture and mix until coated.
  7. Using a spatula, transfer sesame mixture onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and spread out (don’t worry too much about it being even, the clumping is the best part!)
  8. Cook for 10 minutes, then flip seeds and cook 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and place somewhere cool.
  9. To make a quick dipping sauce that goes amazing with these wraps combine 1T maple syrup, 1T tamari, 1/4 c. water, 2 T cilantro (finely chopped), 1/4 t. red pepper flakes, 1/4 t. wasabi powder (optional).
  1. quinoa, garlic, fresh ginger, tamari, oil (sesame or olive), fresh ground pepper, whole leaves of napa cabbage or collards plus a variety of leafy greens (I used: green kale, tuscan kale, red kale, rapini but I'm sure the addition of collards, watercress,
  2. It's always important to wash grains and fresh vegetables before cooking! And it actually does make a difference the flavour of the food we make so, wash the quinoa in a strainer then put in a pot with 2 c. water and a pinch of sea salt. Wash all the greens and set aside.
  3. Bring quinoa to a gentle boil for 5 minutes and then reduce heat to low and cover for 15 minutes, or until grain is cooked and fluffy (but not mushy).
  4. As the quinoa is cooking proceed with the sautéed mixed greens.
  5. Chop the greens, and peel and mince garlic and ginger.
  6. Place ginger and garlic in a large frying pan (cast iron works well) with oil, and sauté on high until fragrant.
  7. Add the chopped greens and stir. Cover pan with lid, reduce heat to medium/low and let cook for one minute.
  8. Remove lid and stir. Add tamari and fresh ground pepper to taste.
  9. Sauté until greens are bright green (about another minute, making sure not to overcook — ‘cause there’s nothing worse than overcooked greens!) then remove from heat and transfer to a bowl.
  10. Add the cooked quinoa to the greens mixture and set aside. Make sure to poor out any additional liquid that may be in the pan after sautéing so the quinoa and greens mixture isn't wet and saucy.
  11. Bring 2 inches of water to a simmer in your pan and place up to 3 leaves at a time in the simmering water. Blanch leaves until bright green (about 1 minute), then remove and place on a plate to cool (or submerge briefly in cold water if you want to be fancy and fast).
  12. Pat leaves dry with paper towel.
  13. Flatten one leaf on a cutting board. Add two heaping spoonfuls of quinoa and greens to the centre of the leaf (lengthwise).
  14. Cut the beet and carrot into thin matchsticks.
  15. Add matchstick carrots and beets if you’d like to add some colour, crunch and other flavour to the wraps.
  16. Add a few clusters of the now cooled and crunchy sesame mix.
  17. Roll the bottom of the leaf up and over the vegetables and quinoa greens you’ve just places in the centre. Fold over the left side of the leaf and then the right side as you roll, making sure to keep the roll as tight as you can as you complete.
  18. Place the roll on a plate with the leaf-fold face down to ensure all your hard work doesn’t unravel!
  19. Cut in half and sprinkle with additional sesame crunchies.
  20. Mix. Dip. Eat. Repeat.

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