Mujadara Stuffed Collard Wraps

Ever have one of those days where you eat nothing but bread, cheese, beer and more bread?

A bagel for breakfast, followed by SEVERAL beers for an afternoon snack (It was my day off... I was camping... no judgements people) followed by a half a loaf of ciabatta bread with more cheese than a person should eat in one sitting.

It happens.

I always feel like crap the next day and bitch about how I'm never eating wheat again and then I inevitably find myself noshing on a sandwich a couple days later.

On those off days when I'm not binging on wheat I'm usually stuffing my face with lots of fruit and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds.

It's all about balance....

Sometimes It's hard to get all of those greens down, which makes these collard wraps perfect.  Take a raw collard wrap, stuff it with your favorite goodies and roll it up like a burrito. 

Collards are high in vitamins A, B, C, and K and contain high amounts of beta carotine. They are rich in iron and calcium and high in fiber. They help support our body's detoxification system and contain anti-inflamatory nutrients. 

In other words.. alot healther than a hunk of bread.


Mujadara Stuffed Collard Wraps (makes 4-6 rolls)


1 bunch collard greens, in this case the bigger the leaf, the better
1 batch of mujadara 
1 cucumber, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. walnuts, toasted and chopped
1 batch miso lemon tahini sauce




Wash and dry your collards. Lay one leaf on a flat surface (shiny side down) and cut out the inner rib, leaving as much of the leaf intact as possible. Spread a tablespoon of miso lemon tahini sauce in the center of the collard, followed by 1/2 c. mujadara, some cucumber and a sprinkling of toasted walnuts. Fold in the sides and roll up like a burrito. Cut in half and serve with additional miso lemon tahini sauce for dipping.

Mujadara

Lentils.
Bulgar.
Onions.

That's it.

Mujadara has become my go to dish when I'm:

a. Broke.
b. Feeling the need to detoxify.
c. Due for a serious grocery shopping trip.

I've been living off of wine, cheese, and more wine for the past week.

Don't judge.

It's time for some healthy stuff. My body needs it.

If your New Years Eve was anything like mine... you need it too.

Mujadara (serves two as a main, four as a side)

1/2. c. cracked bulgar wheat
3/4 c. french lentils
2 medium onions, sliced into half moons
1/4 c. chopped flat leaf parsley
extra virgin olive oil
1 t. cumin, plus more to taste
sea salt
black pepper

In a small saucepan bring 1 c. water to a boil. Add bulgar, cover, turn off heat and let it sit for 30 minutes. All of the water should be absorbed and your bulgar should be nice and fluffy. Transfer to a small bowl to cool.Meanwhile, cook your lentils. Place the lentils in a small saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook until they are soft, but still have a little bite to them. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.
While the lentils are cooking heat 2 T. olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until onions are soft and beginning to brown, about 10-15 minutes, stirring every couple of minutes or so.
Combine the bulgar, lentils and onions in a medium sized bowl. Add 2 T. olive oil, cumin, a generous pinch of salt, black pepper and the parsley. Stir to combine. Add more cumin, salt, pepper and/or olive oil, to taste.

I served it with a simple arugula salad, a little cheese and Ines Rosales olive oil tortas. They taste like crispy crack laced with olive oil. So good.