Collard Samosa Wraps

Collard greens are fantastic. They have cancer fighting properties and contain a lot of essential nutrients. They aren't as bitter as kale. They are large enough to wrap other food in, and can also be cooked until they are tender and delicious. They're also usually cheap! We typically use them in three ways: chopped and cooked in vinegar, as raw wraps for hummus and other goodies, and as cooked wraps with various stuffings and sauces. We also throw them in soup, smoothies and stir fries. So versatile!  Here's a recipe for a dish we made this week with collards.

The finished product, served with pepitas and curry roasted cauliflower

Collard Samosa Wraps
1-2 bunches of collard greens
1 can of chickpeas or 2 cups cooked from dried
1 red onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
2 carrots, diced
1 cup of peas (frozen is fine)
Your favorite Indian spices (curry, garlic, cumin, coriander, cayenne, etc.)

Sauce
1 cup cider vinegar
¼ cup tamarind sauce
2 tbsp tomato paste
Water (as much as needed to cut the acidity of the sauce)
Spices (garlic, minced onion, smoked paprika, salt, pepper & curry)

For the filling (adapted from meg & veg):
In a pot, add the onion, garlic, and oil/water and cook until wilted. Add in the carrots, and stir for a few minutes to cook slightly.

Then add in the spices, chickpeas, and peas. Continue to stir for about 5 minutes until everything is combined and the peas are defrosted.

Sauce:
Combine all ingredients except water in a bowl. Stir and taste. Add water as needed to cut the acidity.

Before cooking

Assembly:
This made enough wraps to fill at 13x9 baking dish, or about 8-10 leaves. Wrap filling into each leaf and place seam side down in your 13x9 dish. Follow this amazing tutorial from Choosing Raw

When you are done wrapping and your dish is full you can either let sit overnight in the fridge or cook immediately.

After cooking

Cook:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Pour your sauce over the wraps, cover with foil, and bake for 30 minutes.

Carrot Chickpea Salad Recipe

Carrot Chickpea Salad
1 bag shredded carrots (or about 2 cups if you DIY)
2 cans chickpeas, drained & rinsed (or about 4 cups cooked)
1 C dried apricots, chopped
¼ C sliced almonds
1-2 handfuls cilantro, chopped
1 bunch scallions, chopped

Dressing:
3 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp cider vinegar
3 garlic cloves, pressed
½ Tbsp smoked paprika
1 Tsp cumin
salt & pepper to taste
chili paste/harissa to taste
1 Tsp sweetener of choice (optional)

Combine dressing ingredients in a bowl & whisk until combined. Combine all ingredients in the salad plus dressing in a large bowl. Let sit as long as possible for flavors to meld.

Serve on top of greens with other fresh veg of choice. I chose to add bell peppers and cucumber, Carly went with celery. The recipe makes 4-6 portions depending on appetite.

Getting consistent

I read a lot of blogs for different purposes. Some of them are long with paragraphs, some are mostly visual, some are only recipes, and some have a combination of everything. I'm wondering the best way to go forward from here. I tend to be the type of writer who gets into a flow of writing and that makes my posts long. I wonder if anyone has actually read through them entirely or if people skim or get bored while they read. I tend to like the blogs I read that have entries similar in style each time. I know what I'll be getting out of them. I think that's what I've decided to strive for in the future. I intended this blog to be about the things I do to foster health and well-being in myself. To me this includes some key items: food, exercise, learning, and emotional well-being. Here is my first attempt at styling my blog in a more consistent manner: