Swiss Chard Wraps

Lately, I’ve been craving burritos... I’m not talking about the large and in charge, can’t wrap your mouth around it cheese, meat, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa exploding all over the place burrito.

While fueling on carbs may be necessary to get through winter, it’s almost Spring and I’m ready for the return of fresh, raw vegetable dishes. These Swiss chard wraps are just that. In an effort to feed my burrito thirst, I decided to wrap up a bunch of healthy eats using Swiss chard and see where that would take me. I can tell you, these wraps are super satisfying, fun to eat, and a nice change up from the norm.

Refreshing & crunchy.

In case you’ve never made a Swiss chard wrap, it’s simple! Slice the stem and part of the bottom off each leaf, then carefully trim the thick stem so that it is close to flush with the leaf. Once your leaf is ready for the stuffing, fill it up and roll it up just like you would a normal burrito. Just be a little more careful than you would be with a tortilla, because: leaf. You can get all sorts of creative with Swiss chard wraps, incorporating your favorite grains, veggies, beans, spreads & sauces.

Don’t dismiss the Swiss.

Swiss Chard Wraps recipe

for each wrap:

• 1 Swiss chard leaf
• 1/4 cup beans, grains, or raw walnut taco “meat” (see recipe below)
• Vegetable toppings: tomato slices, avocado, thinly sliced red onion
• 1-2 tbsp. cashew cheese, hummus or goat cheese
• Optional toppings: green onions, cucumbers, sprouts, sun dried tomatoes, olives, sweet bell peppers, carrot ribbons.

Rinse and dry your Swiss chard leaves and chop off the stems. I find that taking a paring knife and shaving a bit off the bottom thicker part of the stem, so it will roll up easier, really helps. Turn the leaf over (so the less green side is up) and top the center of the Swiss chard with your fillings, spreads and/or sauces. You can simply just roll it up with the beautiful colorful veggies peeking out from the ends, or you can tuck the sides in and roll it burrito style. Enjoy.

Raw Walnut Taco “Meat” recipe

• 1 1/2 cups raw walnuts
• 2 teaspoons tamari or soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground chili powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground garlic powder
• pinch of ground cayenne or chipotle
• sea salt to taste

Add everything to your food processor and pulse until well combined, but still a tad chunky, you are looking for the texture of taco meat (roughly ground).