Ani's Raw Food Essentials - Ani Phyo [57]
2 large collard leaves
1 recipe Avocado-Pistachio Pesto (page 216)
½ cup peeled, chopped cucumber
½ cup seeded and chopped red bell pepper
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup sprouts
Cut the leaves away from the thick center stem of each collard leaf to make a total of four flat pieces. Spoon the Avocado-Pistachio Pesto across the bottom edge of the shorter width of each leaf. Top with cucumbers, bell peppers, mushrooms, and sprouts. Roll up into a wrap, and serve.
Will keep for up to 1 day at room temperature, or store for a day or two in the fridge.
I love the taste of fresh raw collards. To soften, sometimes I’ll prepare the leaves, then leave out at room temperature to wilt for about 30 minutes. But if you prefer using a softer leaf or even a cooked tortilla, you can either substitute it for the collard, or add it. Do what suits your fancy. Either way, you’ll still be eating super healthy and living eco green.
MEDITERRANEAN WRAP WITH RED PEPPER HUMMUS (BEAN-FREE)
MAKES 4 WRAPS
This recipe uses collard leaves for wrapping up vegetables, such as spinach, zucchini, black olives, and avocado, with a delicious Red Pepper Hummus.
2 large collard leaves
2 cups spinach, washed well
½ recipe Red Pepper Hummus (page 184)
1 ripe avocado, pitted and sliced
½ cup zucchini, cut into long, thin spears
¼ cup pitted, chopped black olives
Cut the leaves away from the thick center stem of each collard leaf to make a total of four flat pieces.
Top each collard section with spinach leaves. Then, spoon Red Pepper Hummus across the bottom edge of the shorter width of each leaf. Top with avocado, zucchini, and black olives. Roll up into a wrap and serve.
Will keep for up to a day at room temperature, or store for a day or two in the fridge.
RED PEPPER HUMMUS (BEAN-FREE)
MAKES 2 CUPS
This hummus is made using tahini, as in traditional recipes, but instead of chickpeas, I use red bell pepper and a pinch of cumin for a richer flavor. Sesame powder helps absorb some of the excess liquid from the juicy bell pepper.
½ cup sesame seeds, ground into a powder
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups seeded and diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup tahini
¼ cup lemon juice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
In a food processor, process the sesame seeds, garlic, and salt into small pieces. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
Will keep for 2 days in the fridge.
GENERAL TIP: Hummus Flavors
HUMMUS CAN COME in as many flavors as your imagination will allow. Try replacing the red bell peppers with zucchini, using other herbs such as oregano or dill, and adding olives or sun-dried tomatoes.
CAESAR SALAD WRAP
MAKES 4 WRAPS
Add a twist to everyday salad by wrapping it up in a crepe or wrapper. Delicious Caesar Salad with Coconut Bacon and Rawmesan is rolled up inside a Tomato Wrapper or an Apple Crepe to make a beautiful handheld treat.
2 recipes Tomato Wrapper (page 173) or Apple Crepes (page 69),
halved rather than quartered, for total of four wrappers
TOSSED SALAD
1 recipe Caesar Salad with Coconut Bacon and Rawmesan (page 166)
Place one wrapper on each of four serving dishes. Fill with tossed salad and roll up into a wrap. Serve immediately.
OPTIONS: Try replacing the wrapper or crepe with a sheet of nori for light crispiness, or add a final layer of cooked tortilla or baked flatbread, if you prefer.
SANDWICHES
As the chapter on dehydrating showed, it’s pretty easy to make raw bread. In a raw sandwich, bread is replaced with a flax flatbread. The texture is similar to that of a cooked Lebanese flatbread or pita bread. Most of the fillings in a raw sandwich are the same as in a cooked sandwich, such as lettuce and tomato and Thousand Island Dressing.
These recipes are my versions of classic comfort sandwiches you’d find in any diner.
The BLT club is made with my egg-free Mayonnaise, iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, avocado, and Coconut Bacon—yes, raw bacon! My Grilled Cheeze and Tomato sandwich