Spring into Raw with Sweet & Spicy Cashew Wraps!

A Simple Raw Fusion Recipe – Vegan and Gluten-Free

Spring Rolls – ideal for the season!

I was back on NBC’s Daytime show yesterday (March 23rd) making Sweet and Spicy Cashew Rolls with host Lindsay MacDonald.  Collard greens are in season right now and they make spectacular, low-carb wraps.  As you hear me mention in this video, this nut pate blend is very “forgiving” – if you don’t have a certain ingredient on hand, don’t worry about it!  You can also substitute with what you do have in your fridge and pantry.  Also try using the collard wraps (simply cut along each side of the central rib) with any sticky base –hummus, shrimp salad, tuna salad, chicken or egg salad.  Make sure to spread out to each corner as it will make it stick when you roll it up.

The dipping sauce is particularly wonderful.  I use Tamari in lieu of soy sauce as it’s gluten-free and many people have wheat sensitivities.  To keep this recipe fully raw you can source Nama Shoyu, an unpasteurized soy sauce, at your local health food store.  You can use honey, agave, coconut nectar, maple syrup or succanat to sweeten this sauce.  I like to use agave as it’s easiest to whisk in there.  This also makes a fantastic stir-fry sauce and many of my clients love it as a salad dressing.

Try serving this recipe to friends and family – they won’t even know it’s “raw food” and you will be surprised at the mainstream appeal.  I never tasted a collard green in my life until I developed this recipe – I’ve never eaten them cooked, but they are stunning, simple and amazingly tasty as a wrap.  This is also ideal food-combining!  If you decide to use the Asian rice wrappers instead of the collards, first line the wrapper with some greens, like spinach leaves, before spreading the cashew paste.

As to the filling, ANYTHING will do!  See my suggestions below but also good are sprouts, jicama, beets, radishes, shredded snow peas.

 Sweet & Spicy Cashew Wraps

FILLING: 
Prep: Soak sundried tomatoes and dried pineapple in water for an hour

Ingredients: 2 cups raw cashews, 1-2 dried pineapple rings, 2 TB. red onion, 1 lg. clove garlic, 2 sprigs cilantro, juice from ½ lime, 2 TB. raw honey, 4 sundried tomatoes, 1 jalapeno (seeds removed), 2 TB. raw almond butter (can be replaced with peanut butter but beware of allergies!)

Directions: Place all ingredients in food processor. Pulse a few times to combine ingredients but mixture should be chunky and crumbly. Place in bowl while you make the dipping sauce.

DIPPING SAUCE
Prep: Grate ginger on smallest section of grater and add to a small bowl (minus fibers), juice a lime and add to small bowl
Ingredients: 1-2 in. chunks of fresh ginger, 1/3 cup agave nectar, 1 lime, 3 TB. Nama Shoyu or Tamari, 1 lg. clove garlic, ¼ tsp. crushed red pepper flakes, 2 TB. raw white sesame seeds, 1 green onion chopped

Directions: Press garlic clove into bowl with ginger and lime juice, add other ingredients, stirring well to blend.

STUFFING VEGGIES: 1 large bunch of collard leaves.
Carrots, shredded
Cabbage, shredded
Cucumber, cut in matchsticks
Green onions
Assembly: Cut collard greens along each side of the rib. Put one side on a large plate or cutting board, horizontally. Spread ¾ of the way up with filling. Place veggies in vertically. Now turn the wrap vertically and roll up from bottom.

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