I discovered collard leaves a few years and it has become my favorite green for making wraps. When I want a wrap sandwich or rolls that is light yet something substantial nothing doughy I make collard wraps. Collard leaves work so well at holding up a whole lot of fillings. As you see the wrap is thin compared to tortillas and no bread Nothing against bread or gluten, but when you want something light collards are really great. For other collard wrap ideas try my Collard Spring Rolls.
There is also a chicken version that works well with this combination. Simply sub the king oyster mushrooms with skinless bone less chicken thighs, thinly sliced and cook as you would normally about 6-8 minutes till cooked through.
Preparing the leaves seem like a lot of work, but its quiet simple and fun. Here is a full step by step instruction. Look for collard leaves that are fresh bright green and have no or very little bruising. This recipe totally works with regular tortilla wraps too. If you prefer the traditional hearty burrito use wholegrain burrito sized tortillas and skip the collard prep step.
Collard Fajita Burritos Makes 4
- 4 large or 8 small collard green leaves
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil or any neutral oil
- 1 cup sliced onion (½ medium)
- 1 cup sliced red bell pepper ½ medium
- 1 cup sliced poblano or green pepper, about 1 poblano or ½ green pepper
- FOR THE VEGAN CHICKEN or REGULAR CHICKEN
- 3-4 king oyster mushrooms shredded or (3/4 lb regular boneless, skinless chicken thighs, fat trimmed and cut into ½-inch thin slice)
- 1 teaspoon sea salt salt
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne or to your heat tolerence
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, loosely chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)
- FOR THE BEANS
- 1 can organic black beans, drained
- 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast
- 1 lime, freshly squeezed
- 1/4 regular onion, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 chipotle chili in adobo sauce, finely chopped
- 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon oregano
- 1 bay leaf
- ADD ONS
- 1 cup cooked red/ green rice or 2 cups riced cauliflower
- ½ cup guacamole homemade or store bought
- 1 cup store-bought pico de gallo Or your choice of salsa, for serving
- To prep the collard greens cut off the thick stem at the base of each leaf.
- Use a paring knife held parallel to the cutting board to shave down the spine bone of the collard down the middle of the leaf. The spine should be as flat as the rest of the collard leaf. see here
- Fill a large sauce pan with water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, dip the collard greens, one at a time, into the water for 30 seconds.
- Immediately plunge the hot collard into the bowl of ice water for about 10 seconds to stop the cooking. (This makes the collard greens less bitter, pliable, and retains the beautiful emerald green color.
- Pat dry. Repeat until all leaves have been blanched. Set aside while you prepare the filling.
- To prep the filling. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat with avocado oil. When the oil is warm, add the onion and the peppers. Cook, stirring, until the onion and pepper begin to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shredded mushrooms and season with salt, dried oregano, cumin, paprika, and black pepper. Cook, stirring often, until the mushrooms are softened cooked through, about 4 minutes (6-8 minutes for chicken). Add the cilantro, lime juice.
- Black Beans Warm the oil and add the chopped onion. cook for a minute, now add the oregano, nutritional yeast, garlic and adobo with sauce. Stir and add the can of beans along with 1/4 cup water or broth. Cook the beans for 6-7 till heated though and the beans start to thicken. Smash the beans with the back of the spoon against the pot. Set aside to cool slightly.
- To assemble the collard wrap, lay each leaf flat with the shaved stem side up. Place ¼ cup of fajita “chicken’- pepper mixture in the center of the leaf, about ¼ cup rice, 1-2 tablespoons guacamole and ¼ cup beans.
- Make sure you leave 2-3 inches on each side and 1 inch on the top and bottom so it is easy to roll. (If your collard greens are smaller in size, use 1-2 leaves and lay the greens parallel to each other so they overlap by 1 inch.)
- Roll the burrito leaves tightly set with the seam side down for a few minutes so it sticks firmly. You could also thread a toothpick to secure it firmly.
- Cut in half and secure with toothpicks. Serve with pico de Gallo or as is.
FOR SIMILAR HEALTHY MEXICAN RECIPES TRY
Leave a Reply