Fajita

Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegan, Vegetarian

Southwest Quinoa Collard Wraps

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

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Dinner, Lunch, Recipes, Vegetarian

Black Bean Fajita Tacos

When I think of Mexican food, a few words come to mind: greasy, fat, oil, salty, and fried.

It’s easy to classify Mexican food as unhealthy because of the way it is often prepared, but not all Mexican food has to be bad for your waistline.
I’ve swapped the oil and salt for healthier alternatives such as:
Oil : low sodium vegetable broth
Salt : No-Salt added seasonings & beans
Fried taco shells : soft whole corn tortillas

Question: Have you even seen how much sodium is in a can of black beans?
There is up to 550mg of sodium per serving in some brands. Even labels that read “low-sodium” can be completely misleading, adding up to 400mg of sodium per serving! Make sure to take an extra 30 seconds to read the nutrition labels and pay close attention to the sodium content and servings!


Black Bean Fajita Tacos
Serves 1

2 whole corn soft taco sized tortillas
1 cup green bell pepper
1 cup onion
1/2 cup no salt added black beans (I use 365 Organic)
1/4 cup low sodium vegetable broth (I use Pacific)
1/4 Hass avocado
1/4 small jalapeño
lime juice – to taste
garlic powder – to taste
Mrs. Dash Fiesta Lime seasoning (no-salt added) – to taste

Pour the vegetable broth in a pan over medium-high heat. Chop bell pepper and onion into long strips and add to the pan. Sprinkle with garlic powder and Fiesta Lime seasoning. While the vegetables are cooking, cut the avocado and remove 1/4 of the “meat.” Finely chop the jalapeño and combine with 1/4 avocado in a small bowl. Add lime juice and mix until desired taste is reached. Set the guacamole aside. Place the beans in a microwave safe bowl. Cover and heat in the microwave for 2 minutes. Stir the vegetables until broth has been absorbed and veggies are tender. Heat the corn tortillas in a microwave for 20 seconds. Transfer the warm tortillas to a plate and then add the vegetables, beans, and top with fresh guacamole.


The Rabbit Food Pyramid Breakdown
Produce: bell pepper & onions
Whole Grain: whole corn tortillas
Protein: beans
Plant Based Fat: avocado
Free Extras: jalapeño, garlic powder, lime juice, vegetable broth, fiesta lime seasoning.

Now Sam and I are off for a run!
Did you get your exercise in this morning? 

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