Ginger-Miso Yam Wraps

Recipe from Vegetarian Times 

I've been holding onto this recipe since it was published in 2009 and just finally got to making it today. I LOVE green burritos. I wish to the vegetable gods that they weren't so painstaking to make. I feel so fresh and nourished when I eat them. 

I ate my first green burrito in Nevada City, CA with my bestie. It wasn't too different from this version, actually: sweet potato puree and lots of ginger (always a winner). We used Swiss chard for our wrapper, stuffing thinly sliced carrots, bell pepper and cucumber in for a veggie-packed meal.

This recipe can be used to build a formula for green burritos of the future:

• Wrapper green: Swiss chard, collard greens, lacinato kale
• Something sticky to be the base that keeps everything else together: hummus, guacamole, sweet potato or winter squash puree
• Protein: tofu, tempeh, edamame, beans, chicken, beef, etc.
• Yum-yums that make it delicious: aromatics like onions and garlic, spices and seasonings like ginger, curry powder or fresh herbs

The sky is the limit when you approach recipes like this. Try it with some of your family favorites and see if you can come up with combinations that keep you creative in the kitchen...and looking forward to dinner time! 

Ginger-Miso Yam Wrap ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 small yams or sweet potatoes (1 lb)
• 2 Tbsp white miso paste
• 2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
• 1 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup frozen shelled edamame
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 6 oz firm tofu, crumbled
• 2 Tbsp chopped cilantro
• 8 collard green leaves, stems removed

For the complete recipe, go to the Vegetarian Times.

One step I would encourage you to add to the instructions is blanching the collards before wrapping the filling in them. Collards are dense, bitter greens that are awesome for detoxification and hormone balance, but not super duper pleasant to eat raw. Blanching them for 30 seconds or so has no negative impact on their health benefits, while promoting greater enjoyment of the meal. Insert this step after instruction #2. 

For a greens-blanching and green burrito-wrapping tutorial, check out my colleague Amber Hanson's Instagram highlight on the topic. 

Word to the wise: double or triple this recipe. A) It's delicious and you'll want more, and B) maximize the time you spend blanching and wrapping.