Veggie Wraps with Herbed Hummus

JosephJ1983

12 to 16 collard green leaves, stemmed
1 cucumber, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
½ medium jicama, peeled and cut into thin strips
½ cup hearts of palm, cut into strips, rinsed, and patted dry
1 small carrot, peeled and cut into thin strips
1 stalk celery, cut into thin strips
2 cups Herbed Hummus
1 ripe avocado, sliced
½ cup cashews, toasted and slightly crushed
20 fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Steam the collard green leaves for 1 minute. Remove immediately and let cool. Lay flat and arrange into four 8 x 10-inch rectangles. Lay a paper towel on top of each rectangle and roll a rolling pin over the leaves to crush the veins.

Put the cucumber, bell pepper, jicama, hearts of palm, carrot, and celery in a medium bowl and stir until well combined.

To assemble a wrap, put a rectangle of collard green leaves on a cutting board and spread one-quarter of the hummus along one of the longer edges, then arrange one-quarter of the avocado on top of the hummus and one quarter of the cucumber mixture, cashews, basil, and chives alongside the hummus. Roll up halfway, tucking in the ends so the filling won’t squeeze out. Finish by rolling the wrap as tightly as possible. Assemble the remaining wraps in the same fashion (to make 4 wraps in all).

Serve the wraps whole and eat them like burritos, or cut them into slices and serve them on a plate like sushi. Veggie Wraps with Herbed Hummus can be assembled in advance. Individually wrapped in plastic and stored in the refrigerator, they will keep for 2 days.


Herbed Hummus

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup fresh basil leaves, lightly packed and blanched
½ cup fresh tarragon leaves, lightly packed and blanched
4 cups cooked garbanzo beans
1 cup vegetable broth
½ cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, lightly packed
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 cloves garlic
¼ cup chopped chives


Pat the basil and tarragon dry and coarsely chop them. Transfer to a food processor. Add the beans, broth, parsley, lemon juice, sesame seeds, and garlic and process until the desired consistency is achieved. Stir in the chives. Stored in a sealed container in the refrigerator, Herbed Hummus will keep for 4 days.

Chef’s Note:

Most food processors don’t do a good job of chopping chives, as the chives tend to get wound around the base of the blade. That’s why I suggest you chop them by hand.