I have had a serious thing for collard greens lately.  They are still in season here in Michigan and it is actually one of the peak times for this hardy leaf. We have had only a few frosts so far and the collards are still growing strong, and according to the lady at the Farmers’ Market a few light frosts make collards sweeter and crisper.   I shared that I use collard green wraps in place of hamburger buns back in this post.  But this time I have something a little more special for you.

I think collards are great to cook with but I’ve been using them as wraps on the regular.  It is an easy way to eat some greens and tastes good too.  I’ve been making a concerted effort to eat greens at least twice a day but the struggle is real.  I’m the first to admit that some days you just don’t feel like a salad.

So lately I’ve been using collards to wrap up everything from roasted veggies to deli turkey.  But my favorite filling is the quinoa salad that I’m sharing with you today!  I was inspired by a wrap I got at our local food co-op, People’s Food Co-op, which I highly recommend if you’re in the area. Anyway, we had stopped by the Co-op before going to the movies one night to get movie snacks that we could smuggle into the theatre.  One of the things I picked up was what they called a Sunshine Wrap (love the name).  I had glanced at the ingredients but didn’t really pay attention to what was in it.  Anyways, after the lights went down in the movies I broke out my Sunshine Wrap and it was so good! I knew I had try to recreate it at home.

So this is my version of a Sunshine Wrap.  Qunioa mixed with marinated veggies, sunflower seeds for crunch, avocado for some healthy fats and lemon for brightness.

I typically cut out collard stems like pictured and then will fold over so it’s a double layer wrap.  There’s no right or wrong way to do it, just work with the size of your collard to figure out which way would be best.  These leaves were mini but sometimes you can find collard greens as big as your head.

I find spreading the greens with a little hummus helps the ingredients stick plus they you get the added creaminess of hummus.  You could use add mayo or any other sandwich spread of your choice too.

Sunshine Quinoa Collard Wraps

Filling is enough for 7-8 mini wraps or 3-4 large wraps

1 1/2 cup quinoa cooked

1 small carrot, shredded

1/2 cup marinated artichokes, chopped

1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped (make your own with my easy Roasted Red Pepper recipe)

2 tablespoons sunflower seeds

1/2 avocado, cut into cubes

1/2 lemon, juiced

hummus for spreading

collard greens, with stems removed

salt and pepper to taste

Mix quinoa, carrot, artichokes, roasted peppers and sunflower seeds until well combined.  Gently stir in avocado cubes.  Add lemon juice.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Once collard stems are removed, spread a thick layer of hummus on a collard green.  Add about 1/2 cup of filling (more depending on collard size). Wrap tightly, secure with toothpick if needed.

Be Happy, Be Healthy!