The last time I was in Houston visiting Sam, we invented an awesome dinner dish! Since we were cooking together, this didn’t end up as a single serving sized recipe, but trust me, you will want to have this everyday for as long as your leftovers last! I got Sam totally addicted to quinoa (keen-wa) with my Apple Pie Parfait and it has turned into one of his favorite whole-grains. If your meat loving boyfriend, hubby, dad, or brother is scared of vegetarian or vegan meals, this one is boyfriend approved and a great option for “Meatless Mondays” if you’re trying to go veggie! If you are a big time RFFMBT fan, you may remember a sneak peek photo of this recipe that I posted on my Facebook page! At last, the detailed recipe is finally here!
This is a great healthy dish if you are having guests over for lunch or dinner. You could even set up a little wrap station where your guests can make their own collard wraps!
Southwestern Quinoa Collard Wraps
Serves 4-5
1 bunch collard greens
1 cup dry quinoa + 2 cups water
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth
1 15oz can unsweetened corn
1 15oz can low sodium black beans
1 large red bell pepper
1/2 yellow onion
1 ripe avocado
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp Southwest/Fajita seasoning (I used Mccormick Salt-Free Southwest)
Bring quinoa and water to a boil, then reduce to low heat and cover for 10-15 minutes until water is absorbed. Dice the onion and bell pepper and sauté in a pan with low sodium vegetable broth over medium/high heat. While the quinoa is cooking and peppers and onions are sautéing, rinse and strain the beans and corn. Once quinoa has finished cooking stir the beans and corn into the same pot. After the peppers and onions have become tender and cooked, stir them into the quinoa mixture as well. Add fajita seasoning and lemon juice to taste and gently mix into the quinoa until well combined. Cover the quinoa mixture and set aside. Rinse and dry collard greens and remove stems. Remove the avocado “meat” from its skin, and cut into thin slices. Place a collard green leaf on a plate and fill with 1 cup of the quinoa mixture, 1/4 avocado slices, and roll up into a wrap. Cut in half and serve!
Note: This recipe pairs really well with mango! Cut one mango into slices and add into the wrap along with the avocado for some sweetness.
The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: collard greens, bell pepper, onion
Whole Grain: quinoa and corn
Protein: beans
Plant Based Fat: avocado
Danielle
July 2, 2012 at 3:27 pm (12 years ago)Those look awesome!!!! I bet they would be great with chicken in them too! I love the flavor combos you used 🙂
Catherine
July 2, 2012 at 3:44 pm (12 years ago)Thank you! Let me know what you think if you make them! xo
Lucy
July 5, 2012 at 10:19 am (12 years ago)These look great! I can’t wait to try them for lunch or dinner next week! I find that having an entire container full of cooked quinoa on hand at all times is super helpful!
Catherine
July 5, 2012 at 2:05 pm (12 years ago)I cannot wait for you to try Lucy! I always have cooked quinoa in my fridge too! It makes healthy meals so much easier when I’m in a rush 🙂
McKenna Ryan
July 2, 2012 at 7:08 pm (12 years ago)This looks delicous!!! I am obsessed with quinoa right now so I will have to try this.
Catherine
July 2, 2012 at 9:09 pm (12 years ago)Me too, I love quinoa! xo
Cristina
July 2, 2012 at 7:37 pm (12 years ago)That looks amazing. Can’t wait to make this.
Just found your blog and find your story to be so inspiring. Your recipes look amazing, especially your toast creations. Keep them coming… I hope to lose weight and change my eating lifestyle for the better. Thank you
Catherine
July 2, 2012 at 9:09 pm (12 years ago)Thanks Christina! Health & Happiness xo
Colleen
July 3, 2012 at 6:43 am (12 years ago)Oh, this looks so yummy!! I love just about anything wrapped. I wonder what this would taste like with BBQ tofu?Or even cabbage leaves? Mmmm!
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 11:20 am (12 years ago)YUMMM that would be a great addition! My mouth is watering right now! xo
Julie
July 3, 2012 at 6:54 am (12 years ago)Does someone knows other good blogs with vegetarian recipes? Thanks all!
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 11:49 am (12 years ago)For The Love Of Kale has some excellent vegan recipes and Heather is super adorable too! xo
Lisa
July 3, 2012 at 10:30 am (12 years ago)Hi Catherine! I found your blog through pinterest and I’m so happy I did. I’ve fallen into a bit of a rut with my lifestyle and you just reminded me how important a healthy lifestyle is. Your recipes will make it easy to get back on track. Keep them coming! Can’t wait to see what else you have to offer. Love and luck <3
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 11:13 am (12 years ago)Thank you so much Lisa! Healthy is happy 🙂 xo
LimeRiot
July 3, 2012 at 11:08 pm (12 years ago)I love the idea of making quinoa wraps! Thank you for the suggestion. I believe we’ll be having this for lunch tomorrow :).
I like to make a big batch of quinoa each Sunday and I’m so happy to have found your site and all of your wonderful recipe ideas! Thank you for sharing!
Catherine
July 3, 2012 at 11:37 pm (12 years ago)That’s great! Let me know what you think! Health & Happiness xo
Lindsay
July 4, 2012 at 8:02 am (12 years ago)These recipes look marvelous! I would love to email you to ask you some things I could do to help myself out, but I can’t find your email address anywhere!
Catherine
July 4, 2012 at 9:48 am (12 years ago)Hi Lindsay! I receive a triple digit amount of emails per day so I am no longer accepting personal emails, but you could always ask a question in a comment or on my Facebook or Twitter! Health & Happiness xo
Brandi
July 4, 2012 at 4:55 pm (12 years ago)Just made this today and super num nums! Very filling too!
Catherine
July 4, 2012 at 9:34 pm (12 years ago)So glad you loved it! xo
Alexis
July 5, 2012 at 9:47 am (12 years ago)Hi 🙂 I just found your blog from a pinterest and you are such an inspiring beautiful person! I have never had quinoa before and I was wondering what you would describe the taste as. My friend and I are dieting together and would love to try some new things! We are college students and it is pretty expensive to eat healthy now a days which is so sad but it is an investment worth making.
I want to try this recipe and I was wondering how many wraps you would eat for a meal. Just one of them or two?
Thank you for inspiring me!
Lexy
Catherine
July 5, 2012 at 2:09 pm (12 years ago)Hi Alexis! That’s great that you and your friend are both on board to eat healthy and get in shape 🙂 Quinoa has a mild nutty flavor and is rather chewy (chewier than rice) but kind of looks like couscous! It picks up any flavor that you pair it with. Eating healthy can seem expensive at first, but once you know what you are looking for it gets easier to get the cost down. I love shopping at places like Costco and Sams club and buying fresh healthy ingredients in bulk! If they are about to go bad I will wash and dry fruit and veggies and freeze them for later!
For the Southwestern Quinoa Wraps, I would eat one leaf with 1 cup of the quinoa mixture and 1/4 avocado inside.
Health & Happiness xo
Leona
July 5, 2012 at 5:49 pm (12 years ago)Hi Catherine!
I stumbled upon your website through a post from Pinterest, and I LOVE it! I feel like I can relate to you as I too attended FIDM, and am a vegetarian with a carniverous boyfriend! The two of us like to cook, though I feel stumped when trying to accommodate both of our tastes…
I was wondering if you had any advice on a good recipe to try that would satisfy the two of us?
Lastly, congrats on the weight loss! Your website is super cute, love it all.
Thanks for reading!
Leona
Catherine
July 5, 2012 at 6:58 pm (12 years ago)Hi Leona! We have so much in common 🙂 This is a great filling recipe that my boyfriend and I both love. If you boyfriend does’t feel satisfied without meat, have him cook his own “protein” to add into his portion of the quinoa! You can always cook sides together and separate entrees 🙂 Thanks for the compliments! xo
Kristen
July 7, 2012 at 8:56 am (12 years ago)I just started following your blog and I’m loving your story and all your recipes. It is very inspiring and I can’t wait to try out your receipes! Thanks so much. Right now I’m a size 12 and my goal is a 6. I’ll keep you posted on my progress! Congratulations on your weight loss success
Catherine
July 7, 2012 at 10:59 am (12 years ago)Aww thank you Kristen! I am so happy that you found my blog! I know that you will reach your goal and I cannot wait to hear when you do! Health & Happiness xo
whimsy
July 7, 2012 at 10:14 am (12 years ago)found your site last night.. late via pinterest! (nice to know where people find you, right) Any way… I poured over your site and just finished cooking this and it was more than delish…!
I was concerned about the collard leaves being too stiff. however, the heat from the mixture softened it just a bit so it was not too hard. I’ll be making more and possibly doing the 5-day starting tomorrow. I will keep you posted, if I do..
Keep up the good work here cause heaven knows we all need help. Especially with vegetarian meals that are quick, easy and nutritious..
Catherine
July 7, 2012 at 10:55 am (12 years ago)I am so glad you loved the recipe! Focus on your goal and how healthy you feel when you eat clean ‘n’ green! I can’t wait to hear about your success! xo
Abby Mae
July 7, 2012 at 2:39 pm (12 years ago)So, I just tried your recipe and it is SO good! My BBQ loving boyfriend was skeptical and reluctant at first but then he couldn’t have enough! Definitely going to make this again and definitely going to keep checking back here! Thanks =)
Catherine
July 7, 2012 at 5:42 pm (12 years ago)Omg Abby that totally made my day! I’m so happy your BBQ loving bf is a fan of the wraps! Health & Happiness xo
Iris TNB
July 10, 2012 at 7:38 am (12 years ago)Hi Catherine! Just wanted to let you know that I enjoy your blog a lot and that I linked to it from my “Blogs I Follow” page. I’ve actually tried quinoa for the first time yesterday and I think it’s great! 🙂
Catherine
July 10, 2012 at 1:31 pm (12 years ago)That’s great Iris!!! I am so happy that you found my blog and are loving the recipes! Thanks for reading! Health & Happiness xo
Lynette
July 10, 2012 at 7:08 pm (12 years ago)Delicious! I had some leftover black beans in the fridge, and remembered seeing this recipe a week or so ago, so I looked it up. I’m allergic to avocado, and I didn’t have any collard greens, so I just used hearts of romaine to make lettuce wraps. Soooo good, and I have a ton of leftovers for lunches and dinners this week. “Eat more rabbit food” has become my mantra – thank you for helping me to change my relationship with food. I don’t think about following an eating plan or looking up recipes, I just think of how I can eat more rabbit food!!
Catherine
July 10, 2012 at 11:53 pm (12 years ago)Oh my gosh, love your swaps Lynette! I bet the romaine was great with the quinoa 🙂 I’m so happy you found my blog and re loving the recipes! Health & Happiness xo
Sara G.
July 11, 2012 at 10:21 am (12 years ago)I made these for dinner last night but I did add 1 diced chicken breast and they were amazing! My whole family ate them, including my 3 year old (I just put his in a whole wheat tortilla as he refused the collard greens) but everyone loved it! I even took one for breakfast this morning and just added one scrambled egg to the mix, sounds weird but it was delish! Thank you for these amazing, healthy recipes!
Catherine
July 11, 2012 at 10:26 am (12 years ago)That’s amazing Sara!!! Love hearing that your entire family loved it! xo
Cait Orton
July 16, 2012 at 8:03 am (12 years ago)I just found your website via Pinterest and you’re blog is really inspirational! Congrats on everything, and thank you for sharing so many tasty-looking recipes. I’m excited to try this one!
Catherine
July 16, 2012 at 10:08 am (12 years ago)You’re very welcome! I am so happy you found my blog! xo
Erika
July 22, 2012 at 8:07 am (12 years ago)Hi there! I too just found your blog via Pintrest. I’m not really a blog type of person, but I must say I am enjoying your blog and all the recipes. My husband turned vegetarian a year ago, but has been one of those “eat a pound of french fries and call yourself a vegetarian”. I have not really been interested in becoming a veggie myself, but I definitely have an interest in losing weight and getting healthy. I NEED to lose weight and get healthy! I was wondering, what the collard greens tasted like. Are they strong like kale or more mild? So far I’m not a big fan of kale. Also, since I’ll just be starting out, I’m pretty sure I will be hungrier more often since I am used to larger portions. Any suggestions for that issue? Or do you think it’s good enough just to start eating healthier and pare down the portions as I can? Thanks for your help and inspiration!
Catherine
July 22, 2012 at 3:36 pm (12 years ago)Hi Erika! Collard Greens have a milder taste than kale, but some people don’t really like the texture. You could always use romaine leafs! As far as hunger, you should feel full because of the high volumes of fiber/vegetables, but if you do need small snacks throughout the day try veggie sticks with hummus or fresh fruit! xo
lizzy
July 22, 2012 at 9:00 pm (12 years ago)i can’t wait to try this out! My friend told me about your blog and for the past three days i’ve been glued to your site! IM HOOKED!
Catherine
July 23, 2012 at 10:57 am (12 years ago)Awww you’re so cute! I’m so happy your friend showed you my blog 🙂 I cannot wait for you to try some recipes! xo
Karen
July 26, 2012 at 7:44 am (12 years ago)Hi Catherine! I found your blog about 3 weeks ago and love it! I have tried many of your recipes and have found them to be easy to make, healthy, and yummy! I made this recipe last night and my husband and I loved it. It is definitely going to become one of my regular dishes. Thanks for all the great recipes and inspiration.
Catherine
July 26, 2012 at 10:09 am (12 years ago)Thank you so much Karen! I’m glad that you and your husband loved the Southwest Quinoa Collard Wraps! xo
Tyler
July 26, 2012 at 8:17 pm (12 years ago)Just found your blog, you are so inspiring! I really like your approach to healthy eating. Its not about crazy diets, its about eating fresh nutritious food. I love vegetables, but often find it hard to incorporate them into recipes. I tried this recipe tonight and it was delicious! Can’t wait to try more!
Catherine
July 27, 2012 at 11:27 am (12 years ago)Thank you so much Tyler! I am so happy you loved the recipe 🙂
Jamie
July 27, 2012 at 6:20 pm (12 years ago)I made these last night and they were great! My husband really liked it too, but I added chicken to his. Really enjoying your blog!
Catherine
July 28, 2012 at 11:09 am (12 years ago)Love it Jamie! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! xo
Beauty Banter Blog
June 2, 2013 at 6:37 pm (11 years ago)I just stumbled across your blog via Pinterest! I wanted to find the recipe for the Black Bean and Avocado lettuce wrap recipe!! Can you point me in the right direction?
Thanks!!
Maddy @ http://www.BeautyBanterBlog.com
Catherine
June 2, 2013 at 11:39 pm (11 years ago)Hi Maddy!
I’m so happy you found me through Pinterest!
Here are the Black Bean Wraps!
http://rabbitfoodformybunnyteeth.com/black-bean-wrap/