It all started with mushrooms, again. I’m pretty sure I reached for them this morning at the store for a reason. I knew that I was going to marinate them…the rest was spontaneity in action.
The truth is, I grabbed some collard greens for a smoothie, but then I wanted to use some sprouts too to make a high protein meal sans nuts. So came the idea of making a mushroom-veggie roll. This time I went for crimini mushrooms. Their nutritional profile is nearly identical to that of the portabello’s and they’re both so healthy. The health benefits of criminis stand out when we look at selenium content, which is even higher than that of its giant cousin’s. Also, criminis are a more complete protein source and they make a good post workout food for vegans as their protein to carbs ratio is 3:4!
Rosemary has a laundry list of benefits
…among which are the following characteristics: antiseptic, antidepressant, anti-inflammatory, expectorant, antiviral, aphrodisiac, disinfectant. In other words, it can protect you from disease causing microorganisms, elevate your mood, help clear mucus build up when you have a cold, etc. It also stimulates bile secretion and provides an all around support for digestion. In aromatherapy it is used to help with fatigue, sadness, anxiety, and to ensure a restful sleep.
I admit, while the benefits sound wonderful, I only used it for its savory resinous flavor!
Marinated Crimini Collard Wrap
Ingredients for the mushroom marinade:
(Serves 1-2)
½ lbs (0.2 kg) crimini mushrooms
~4 tbsp olive oil
finely chopped leaves of a 2 in (5 cm) piece of rosemary sprig
2 cloves of minced/finely chopped garlic
salt to taste
optional: you may add any other spices/herbs you love
To make the wraps:
2 collard leaves
1 small tomato
handful of clover/any other sprouts
Directions:
Brush off the mushrooms (do NOT wash them), halve the caps, then slice them. Place in a bowl and add the olive oil , the rosemary, the garlic, and salt to taste. Mix it well and give it a few stirs. If you have time, let it sit for 30-45 minutes. The oil will “cook” the mushrooms and the whole marinade becomes juicy as the mushrooms release water due to the salt. You’ll find that you end up with a handful of mushroom “stew” without cooking and killing all the nutrients!
Grab the collard leaves and partially remove the stems, so that they’re flush with the rest of the leaf.
This will allow you to have a large wrapper that’s easy to roll. (If you cut the stems out, you will have very small surface areas that are much harder to work with!) Spoon some of your mushroom marinade on the back side of the leaves,
layer sliced tomato and sprouts, or anything else you’d like (cucumber, bell pepper, olives, slices of radish or avocado) on top and just roll it up…..and that’s a wrap!
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