Quick Healthy Dinners at My House: Kale Wraps

When it comes to quick healthy dinners at my house, I stick to what I know best: Green salads and fresh in-season farmers’ market vegetables.

But the tricky part is getting my family to crave these things the way I do and making something fast and fairly mess-free that doesn't just look like a leafy green blob on a plate!

Imagine taco night meets pizza night. Now re-imagine them with sprouted grain tortillas, fresh homemade salsa, herbs, avocado, and kale.

Sound too earthy for you? Here's the trick - whipped garlic sauce and Parmesan cheese. I'm talking the fresh grated stuff, not the tall green can.

Yep, layer these ingredients before throwing in the rest of the leafy greens and veggies! You will have a gourmet Italian style wrap. You won't even know it's healthy!

You barely need any cheese because the garlic sauce is so freakin' fantastic. If you don't have any of these at your local health food store, you can buy them online or try making your own. It lasts for weeks in the fridge.

KALE WRAP RECIPE

Makes endless wraps, but 1 head of kale makes about 4 wraps. Plan accordingly. 

Kale 

• 1 head kale, chopped
• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 1 avocado, cut into pieces
• pinch of sea salt
• pepper to taste

Mix everything in a large salad bowl. Let sit and marinate while you prep the rest.

Salsa

• 1 cup chopped cherry tomatoes
• 1/2 tsp jalapeño, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp fresh horseradish
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion, optional
• 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
• pinch of sea salt

Mix everything in a medium sized bowl.

The Rest

• Tortillas, use whichever kind you like.
• Parmesan cheese
• Whipped garlic spread* (see recipe below or you can buy this at your local health food store)

Optional: Arugula, corn, anything else you like in tacos. You can also add meat but you will NOT miss the meat if you leave it out, I promise. Kale is VERY hearty and filling.

WHIPPED GARLIC RECIPE 

•  2 cups grape seed oil (or vegetable oil)
• 1/4 cup lemon juice, squeezed fresh
• 1/2 cup peeled garlic cloves
• pinch of sea salt

In a food processor pulse the garlic and the salt until garlic is in small pieces - almost like a paste. About 1 minute. Slowly mix in a little lemon juice. And then a little of the oil. Pour VERY SLOWLY. Keep repeating this until the mixture is fluffy and all mixed up.

You can store it in the fridge for a few weeks.

*Again, you can buy your whipped garlic. I don't usually make my own. I buy it already made at Whole Foods Markets: Garlic Garden’s Original Lebanese Breeze, Majestic Garlic (the best garlic sauces ever!), and Fresh ‘n Nova (based in Pasadena, CA).

INSTRUCTIONS

If you have a moment in the late afternoon, you can prep these wraps by soaking the kale in a bit of sea salt and olive oil. Chop tomatoes and mix the salsa up beforehand as well. Then, set everything aside until you're ready to eat.

Once you’re ready to eat, heat a frying pan on medium-low. Add the tortilla. Then layer 1 heaping Tbsp garlic sauce under 2 Tbsp Parmesan cheese (or as much or little as you want). Add the kale and salsa (or anything else you might want). Remove from heat when cheese barely starts to melt. And wrap it up! Voila. Simple as that.

Once you get the hang of it, this will take you no time at all. It might seem like a large list of ingredients and steps. But it's really not. You can do whatever you want with these and have fun!

Eat as many as you'd like.

Seriously I had these for 4 nights in a row one week. And I'm still not sick of them. When I make these wraps people freak out because it takes no time at all and yet they taste like a gourmet meal.

Oh wait, one more thing, depending on the ages of your kids, you can teach them to make wraps themselves. Now that's probably the best part of this entire meal. (wink)

Enjoy! – Juli Novotny of PURE Mamas.

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