(Chard) Falafel Wraps with Crunchy Kale-Brussels Sprout Salad

EAT YOUR GREENS THIS WEEK!!! Skip the grains and opt for greens! Final week of the barre3 challenge is here!!

It's the final week of the Barre3 challenge - and the final push to stick to the plan and end strong. So, for this Make-It Monday's recipe (there's actually two here but they are meant to go together), I've chosen to skip the grains and replace them with greens. Thanks for the suggestion, Sadie Lincoln! Of course, if you must have a whole wheat pita pocket, go ahead. But for those of us who love a good challenge, make the falafels as wraps with lettuce. You won't miss the bread (that much), and you will feel so good after. Promise.

A little about these recipes…I love falafels but they are always fried and never have any greens in them. So this recipe was born to create a falafel that would be nutritious and obviously had to be super delicious. And the kale-brussels sprout salad? This is adapted from the beloved Bon Appetit, and it's fantastic. I love that you can make it in advance because the greens are so sturdy.

You are getting lots of greens with this meal! But you won't care - because the flavors are through the roof! May I suggest this as the perfect Superbowl meal?

Mission Crazy Good Green Falafels: Accomplished

Falafel Lettuce Wraps with lemon and hummus

These have a secret green ingredient that makes them extra nutritious but keeps the flavor authentic and delish. If you haven’t cooked with chard, get ready to fall in love.

Serves 3-4 (entrée portions) or 6 as appetizers

INGREDIENTS

• 4 cups stemmed and torn rainbow chard

• 3 medium to large cloves garlic, chopped

• 1.5 Tbsp tahini

• 1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 tsp cumin

• ¼ tsp ground coriander

• ½ tsp salt

• ½ tsp pepper

• 1 15.5 ounce can chickpeas, rinsed and drained

• ½ tsp baking powder

• 3-4 Tbsp almond meal (or flour of choice)

•1 tsp sesame seeds 

• lemon wedges for serving

• iceburg lettuce or butter lettuce

•  cilantro or parsley 

• cucumber

• tomatoes

• hummus or Greek yogurt  with Avocados from Mexico

INSTRUCTIONS

1.            Add chard, garlic, tahini, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, and salt and pepper to a food processor and pulse to combine well. Scrape down bowl if needed. You don’t want any big chunks; it should be fairly smooth.

2.             Add chickpeas. Pulse until slightly chunky. Scrape down bowl as you go if needed. You don’t want to go to the point of making a puree. Texture is good!

3.            Once well incorporated, transfer to a mixing bowl and stir in baking powder, sesame seeds and flour of choice 1 Tbsp at a time until the mixture is thick enough to handle – about 4 Tbsp.

4.            Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.

5.            Let mixture rest in refrigerator for at least 30 mins. Then form into balls or little patties.

6.            Bake at 400 for 15 mins. Flip and cook for additional 5 mins. Turn oven to Broil. Broil for 1-2 minute to brown. Flip falafels again and broil the other side for another minute. Watch closely to avoid burning! (These can also be fried in oil for about 4-6 minutes per side, but it adds significantly to the calories)

7.            Serve immediately as an appetizer with hummus, tzatziki or tahini sauce, or inside a lettuce wrap with cucumber, tomatoes, cilantro, and hummus or yogurt. Serve with lemon wedges.

*Will store in the fridge, layered with parchment paper in an airtight container, for several days. Freeze to keep longer.

*To reheat, wrap in a tinfoil purse, and reheat at 350 for about 15 minutes. Or microwave until heated through.

Crunchy Kale and Brussels Sprout Salad

Serves 3 entrée size portions or 6 as a side

Ingredients:

• 1/8 cup fresh lemon juice

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 small minced shallot

• 1 small garlic clove, finely grated

• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

• Freshly ground black pepper

• 1/3 cup almonds with skins, coarsely chopped

• 1/3 cup finely grated or shredded Pecorino

• 1 10-oz bag Cruciferous Crunch from Trader Joe’s OR about 5 cups chopped kale with 4 cups shaved Brussels sprouts      

• Pomegranate seeds, optional

Method:

Make dressing: Combine first 7 ingredients and mix well. Set aside for at least 30 minutes.

Toss greens with almonds, cheese, and dressing. Garnish with pomegranate seeds if desired.

*I had several Tbsp of dressing leftover- perfect for tomorrow’s lunch!

*Salad can be made and tossed with dressing in advance- can sit for up to 3 hours.

Sweet Potato Pizza Crust

Who doesn’t love pizza? I crave it all the time, but when I do indulge, I don’t usually feel very good afterwards – maybe it’s all the cheese and salt,  or the bread or the greasy toppings, or the fact that I usually leave my portion control at home (because stopping at 2 slices is SO hard!!). Most likely, it’s a combo of all that.  So for a LONG time, I’ve been searching for a pizza recipe that would skip the grains, and focus on plant foods as the crust – and in the process of discovering this recipe, I’ve played around a lot.  I spent a good amount of time trying to master cauliflower pizza crust but it just didn’t cut it. It was too soggy, and fell apart en route to my mouth and while I love cauliflower, the flavor in pizza crust was too distinct. It just didn’t ever feel like pizza. Then, one day a friend brought me a recipe for sweet potato pizza crust. I was a total skeptic and very ready to abandon this grain-free pizza mission. But she said her friend swears by it, so I felt obligated to give it one last shot.

Well, wouldn’t you know, this recipe proved to be life-changing. The crust holds up like real pizza crust and is approved (and adored) by some pretty picky pizza fanatics in my life. Bottom line: everyone who tries it, loves it. You can top it any way you like, but my one rule is that you skip tomato sauce because it makes the dough soggy. Instead, brush the crust with your favorite oil (olive or lemon avocado oil are my favs), and maybe a pinch of garlic powder and Italian herbs.  Prepare to fall in love!!

Mission Healthy Pizza: Accomplished

(A little over cooked but no less tasty! Brussels with red onion, pear, thyme and almonds with lemon avocado oil)

Sweet Potato Pizza

serves 2-3

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks (it was a little over 2 cups mashed but don't worry about precision too much)


1.5 cups cashew flour (or almond flour)


1/4 cup shredded parmesan


1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs


1 tsp baking soda


1/4 tsp garlic powder


3/4 tsp salt


black pepper


coconut flour to dust your hands

Toppings of choice (I like sautéed eggplant, mushrooms, chicken sausage, fresh basil + arugula, parmesan OR sautéed Brussels sprouts & red onion with pine nuts, thyme, goat cheese and pomegranate seeds)

mozzarella cheese, goat cheese, feta, parmesan all work well here JUST GO LIGHT- you don’t need that much because there’s so much awesome flavor and we are trying to avoid a stomach ache J, remember?

Method:


Preheat oven to 400.

Boil sweet potato pieces until very soft, about 20 minutes. Drain. Place in large mixing bowl. Mash with a fork. Alternatively, you can microwave your sweet potatoes instead of boiling.

To the bowl add the rest of the ingredients. Mix with a wooden spoon. With your hands coated in coconut flour, remove dough from bowl, and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Press dough into circle form, using coconut flour as needed for stickiness. 
Bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned.

When you are ready to top the pizza, start by brushing a couple teaspoons of your favorite oil on top of the crust, then sprinkle with garlic powder and dried Italian herbs for a little extra UMPH. Follow with your toppings and cheese and bake again at 400 for about 15 minutes to melt the cheese and re-heat the crust. Slice into squares, and serve immediately.

*A little note: while I love using a variety of toppings, don’t use too much. The dough holds up pretty well, but it’s not as strong as a bread pizza dough. Just proceed with a little caution.

Mango Chia-Tapioca (No added sugar, fruit-sweetened)

I’m a flip-flops-in-winter kind of a gal. I think it’s how I stay connected to my So-Cal roots combined with a touch of laziness (shhhh). But I admit, I should probably grow up and throw on some boots when its 39 degrees out and raining, right? I'm thinking there are other, more age-appropriate ways I could pretend it’s warmer than it really is… like take a 2-minute mental vacation to Hawaii or even better, make this dessert! Now, we’re talking! It’s amazingly simple to make, and is so good for you – way better than that bowl of ice cream you were considering. And this one is definitely barre3-approved  -- it’s sweetened only with fruit and contains a healthy amount of omega-3’s, protein, and fiber from the chia seeds. This chia-tapioca tastes like creamy-fluffy-sweet summer in a glass. You gotta try it, especially if you’re ready for some sunshine (and you really are going to keep wearing flip-flops in winter no matter what).

Mission Escape Winter: Accomplished, Temporarily 

Mango Chia-Tapioca Pudding

Serves 6-8

1 ripe banana

1 ½ cups frozen mango chunks (+ extra for garnish)

1 date

1 can full-fat coconut milk

1 tsp vanilla extract

4 Tbsp chia seeds

Method:

Blend first 5 ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Add the chia seeds and pulse until combined.

Pour into ramekins and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or overnight.  Garnish with diced mango chunks.  You could also garnish with unsweetened coconut flakes or chopped almonds for some crunch factor. YUM! This dessert can be made ahead (keeps for 3-4 days).