Mofo 2013 - Day 12 - K is for Kick-Booty Kale Wraps with Kalamata Olives

K is for Kale. Some dub kale the new red meat, which might be a slight exaggeration. But kale is seriously good for you and packs a lot of nutrition in those beautiful emerald leaves. 1 cup of chopped kale contains a whopping 133% of the RDA of Vitamin A and 134% of Vitamin C. Amazingly it also contains 2.9 grams of protein. You get all of this for only 33 calories!!! OK maybe it isn't an exaggeration. This stuff rocks. I love to eat it raw in massaged kale salads. It's awesome to throw in soups. Oh and if you saute it with a little sesame oil, garlic, ginger and tamari, sprinkle with a little bit of raw sesame seeds you have an easy crazy healthy side dish.

Below are two varieties. The bunch on the left is regular green kale (red kale looks about the same with red ends). To the right is Dinosaur or Lacinto kale. I think this kale is the best for "beginners" to try as it has a more pleasing texture raw.

For K day, I decided to make something raw and gluten-free for those of you who are looking for more fun ways to eat that way. These pretty little rolls have lots of omega 3's thanks to the walnuts and lots of fiber and vitamins thanks to all of the fresh, fabulous veggies. Enjoy on their own or with some raw flax crackers.

Kick-Booty Kale Rolls with Kalamata Olive Flecked Walnut Meat

Makes 4 Rolls

1 cup raw walnuts, soaked overnight
8 fresh basil leaves, about 1/4 cup lightly packed
1 tablespoon chopped sun-dried tomato (oil packed)
1 clove fresh garlic, minced
1 teaspoon shoyu (if you want all raw) or tamari
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin cold pressed olive oil
6 kalamata olives
1 large carrot, grated
1/2 large red bell pepper, julienned
1 medium sized tomato, sliced thinly
1 handful of your favorite sprouts (I prefer pea or broccoli myself)

4 large kale (I use dinosaur or Lacinto), collard or chard leaves, taking care to remove woody part of stems but leaving large part of leaf intact.

Place walnuts, basil, sun-dried tomato, garlic, shoyu, balsamic vinegar, and lemon juice in bowl of food processor. Pulse together until mixture resembles a corse meal, scraping down the sides as needed. Turn processor to on and drizzle in olive oil, scraping sides between additions as needed. Once mixture is combined, add olives and pulse until olives are chopped coarsely.

If using kale leaves, spray lightly with lemon juice and lightly massage to make leaves more pliable. Place 1/4 cup walnut mixture on large end of leaf about 1 inch from the end. Top with carrots, a few slices of bell pepper, 2 slices tomato and sprouts. Roll fold in sides if leaves are large enough and roll up from large end to small end. Secure with toothpick. Serve immediately or refrigerate and serve the next day.

Lavosh Pizza

Last week I was shopping at Trader Joe's and came across some whole wheat lavosh. My original plan for the lavosh was to make a wrap with some type of white bean dip and lots of fresh veggies. I'm not sure why that hasn't happened yet. Maybe later this week for lunches. What did happen was lavosh pizza! The lavosh was a great crust. It was very thin and light. The edges got super crispy with the center being more tender.

Probably the biggest reason I went with pizza is that I had small amounts of a few ingredients left over from other recipes. Pizza is such a great way to use up small amounts of goodies that might otherwise get left behind. I had opened a jar of roasted red peppers for some soup I made this weekend. I had just a small amount of kalamata olives left over. Then I found a partial onion hanging out. Then there was some basic about to brown on me. I had a few creminis hiding out, but sadly my fridge did a Mr. Freeze on them. This recipe is very flexible, you can use your favorite toppings. Make sure not to over crowd the pizza so the crust can get nice and crispy.

If you haven't made it yet, Isa Chandra Moskowitz's Tofu Ricotta recipe is a fantastic substitute for the dairy version. This is often my go-to recipe for first time vegan diners. I served stuffed shells to my very meat eating extended family. They had no clue it was vegan. It's just incredible. As an added bonus, it is super easy to make. You can make the ricotta and the sauce ahead of time to make this a quick week night dinner. I always have a hard time finding a pizza sauce that I really like, but I think I may have created a winner tonight. I'll let you be the judge. It's very easy to make and has lots of yummy herby flavor. If you do try it, I'd love to hear what you think...leave me a comment.

Lavosh Pizza

Makes two pizzas

2 Lavosh

1 recipe pizza sauce (recpe below)

1/2 recipe Tofu Ricotta

1/4 red onion, very thinly sliced

1/2 cup sliced kalamata olives

2 roasted red peppers, sliced into thin strips

12 slow roasted halved cherry tomatoes

15-20 medium sized fresh basil leaves

Preheat oven to 425.

Place each lavosh on a cookie sheet (no need to oil). Spread with a thin layer of pizza sauce over the lavosh, leaving about 1 inch of the edge naked. Drop ricotta by the generous tablespoon about 1-2 inches apart. Using the back of the spoon, flatten ricotta. This will help it cook more evenly. Spread toppings evenly over the top. Bake for 10 minutes until lavosh is crisp on the edges and ricotta is hot. 

Slice and serve immediately. Serve with extra sauce on the side. 

Pizza Sauce

Makes approx 1 1/2 cups

2 teaspoons olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 teaspoons fresh oregano, chopped

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped

pinch fresh rosemary

1/2 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

15 oz can organic tomato sauce

Mediterannean Quinoa Stuffed Portobellos

I've been meaning to post this since February. Sorry for the delay for those of you who asked for the recipe. I was beyond busy with the 3rd Annual Joanne Wood March Madness for Mammaries Hike that I put on each year to benefit the Breast Cancer Fund and the Wellness Community - Arizona. The hike was a great success, raising over $27,000 for the two charities. Woot!!

On to to the food. For Valentine's Day I created a tasty delicious side dish that ended up being more like a main dish really. It is very tasty and packs a pretty good protein punch from the quinoa.

Mediterannean Quinoa Stuffed Portobellos

4 servings

4 medium sized portobello mushrooms

Marinade

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tablespoon tamari
2 cloves garlic minced
salt and pepper to taste

Filling

1 Cup Quinoa
2 Cups Vegetable Broth
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 large red onion or 1 small, diced small
2 garlic cloves minced
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon salt
black pepper to taste
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes in olive oil choppped

1/2 cup coarsley chopped kalamata olives
2 teaspoons capers

Mix marinade ingredients in shallow baking pan. Add mushrooms and marinade for at least an hour turning once.

Preheat oven to 350.

Bake or grill portobellos for about 5 minutes until they just barely start giving up their liquid. Remove from oven or grill.

Prepare filling. In medium saucepan add quinoa to cold veggie broth. Bring to a boil cover and cook for 15 minutes or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let sit 10 minutes. Remove cover and fluff. While quinoa is cooking heat oil in iron skillet or saute pan. Add onions and garlic and saute until onions are transluscent. Add oregano, red pepper flakes and salt. Saute for 3 minutes. Add sun dried tomatoes, olives, and capers and saute for another 3 minutes. In mixing bowl toss this mixture with quinoa. Salt and pepper to taste. Stuff each portobello cap with approximately 1/2 cup of mixture. Bake mushrooms in covered pyrex dish for 20 minutes.

As you can see, I garnished mine with a roasted pepper cut in a heart shape. You can also garnish with chopped fresh italian parsley.