Recipe: Collard Green Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Wrap

Adventist Health’s Chef Nina Curtis shares her award-winning recipe for the Food Literacy Center’s Veggie of the Year challenge: Collard Green Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Wraps! Get the recipe below, and watch Chef Nina’s video demonstration at the end for her top tips for a successful wrap.

Collard Green Chickpea ‘Tuna’ Wrap

Yield: 4 wraps

Ingredients

• 4 collard greens (or one per serving)
• 14-oz. can of chickpeas (organic if possible)
• ¼ cup small diced red onions
• ½ cup small diced celery (approximately two celery ribs)
• 2 tablespoons capers (Other options: diced cucumbers or diced pickles)
• 2 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise or your favorite mayonnaise
• 2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon dill—fresh or dried
• Salt and pepper to taste

Additional toppings

• Grated carrots
• Sliced cucumbers
• Slice avocados
• Sliced tomatoes
• Sprouts
• Lettuce greens: romaine, spinach or butter lettuce
• Sliced zucchini
• Sliced bell peppers
• Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds or pumpkin seeds

Making the chickpea “tuna”

1. Drain the can of chickpeas and rinse with water. Let drain and pat dry. Place in medium size bowl and gently mash chickpeas with a fork, leaving it chunky.
2. Add red onions, celery, capers and toss together.
3. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, mustard, and lemon juice. Whisk or use a fork to mix. Add this dressing to the chickpea mixture and combine. Salt and pepper to taste.
4. Place in refrigerator and let chill.

Preparing the collard greens

1. Prep four collard greens for four servings. Shop for the largest and best-looking bunch of collard greens. Clean collard greens and pat dry.
2. With a paring knife, cut down the stem of the collard green so that it becomes more pliable and easier to roll.
3. Next, we’ll blanch our collard greens. Bring a large pot of water to boil. While it’s heating, prepare an ice bath in a large bowl. Fill it halfway with water and add a pitcher of ice.
4. Once your water has boiled, turn off the heat or remove it from the stove and place the pot on top of a kitchen towel on your counter. Submerge each collard green leaf into the water for approximately thirty (30) seconds. Remove with tongs and immediately place it in the ice bath to stop the cooking process. Let it sit there for approximately 10 seconds, just until cool.
5. Place each collard green on paper towels and blot dry.

Assembling your wrap

Watch the video below for a demonstration, and follow these quick steps to roll your wrap.

1. Lay your collard green wraps with the vein side of the collard green facing up.
2. Spread a small amount of mayonnaise or mustard on the collard green leaf as you would on a slice of bread.
3. Begin to layer with your choice of salad greens, romaine, spinach or butter lettuce (optional).
4. Use 5 ounces of the chickpea ‘tuna’ mixture and spread it out a little, keeping the ingredients in the center of the collard green leaf as you would if you were making a burrito.
5. Layer the ingredient toppings that you like the best. Choose four to five toppings.
6. Begin to roll the collard green wrap as you would a burrito. Cut in half, place on plate, and serve.

Serve with chips and or veggie sticks.

Voila! Enjoy!

About the author: Chef Nina Curtis is the director and executive chef at Adventist Health’s Vitaliz Café in Roseville, California. Follow her @botanicalchef on social media.