While I eat fairly simply, I still love rich, flavorful food. Lots of depth, a variety of texture, and the perfect amount of seasoning. While this raw lunch staple is easy to pull together, it’s incredibly satisfying with pecans (surprise!), chipotle peppers, avocado, spices, and a creamy, cashew-based dipping sauce. The pecan taco filling is absolutely divine and can be used as a paté for fresh vegetables or with any wrap you prefer (nori, tortillas, romaine lettuce, etc.). I like collard greens because they’re packed with nutrition and hold everything together well.
Serves 2
What you need:
- 2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
- 1 Medjool date
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ½ teaspoon ground paprika
- ½ teaspoon ground chili powder
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 cup whole, raw pecans
- 4 large collard green leaves
- 1 ripe avocado, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced
- ½ cup cilantro leaves
Creamy Chipotle Sauce:
- ½ cup raw cashews
- ⅓ cup water
- 1 tablespoon lime juice
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
- ¼ teaspoon ground cumin
What you do:
- Into a food processor, add chipotle peppers, date, water, garlic, salt, paprika, chili powder, cumin, and oregano. Process until a paste forms. Add pecans and pulse a few times until mixture resembles taco meat. Set aside.
- For the Creamy Chipotle Sauce, into a high-speed blender, add all ingredients. Blend until creamy, and set aside.
- To prepare collard greens, carefully slice raised part of the main stem of each leaf to allow for easier rolling. Add equal amounts of pecan taco meat on top of each collard leaf, then avocado, bell pepper, and cilantro. Roll up as you would a burrito. Dip collard rolls into the Creamy Chipotle Sauce and enjoy!
Healthy hints:
- >> Most nuts can be used to create raw fillings, but pecans are special. They’re buttery, full of flavor, and loaded with fiber and protein.
>> These collard wraps are delicious raw, but during the winter, I like to warm the pecan meat filling before wrapping in the collard leaf. Bake for 30 minutes at 375 degrees, or warm on top of stove.
>> Want an even creamier sauce? Soak cashews overnight and drain when ready to use.