Whether you're an omnivore or herbivore.... you're gonna love the walnut “meat” in my Chipotle Walnut Lettuce Wraps. It's super flavorful brain food!
Plant-based Inspiration
One of my favorite blogs, called The Taste Space has been my biggest inspiration when it comes to eating animal-free (we happened to both post similar recipes today so check her version out as well!). In fact, when I did a 21-day detox I think I printed out almost her entire website of recipes because I wanted to try them all.
Janet and I have been emailing back and forth lately discussing the trials and tribulations of eating plant-based and she'd given me some amazing tips and suggestions; especially when it came to feeding myself, my daughter who is allergic to everything and my omnivore hubby.
Experimenting with new foods is fun but.....
One of the suggestions she gave me was a walnut meat from one of my now favorite blogs, My New Roots, that she swore tasted like the real thing.
I was intrigued and decided to try it but I wasn’t sure how I would like cold “meat”....
A new favorite!
One taste and I was amazed. I couldn't believe the filling was walnuts! Under the sweet mango salsa with a squeeze of refreshing lime all you notice is the spicy chipotle and the hint of cumin that creates a perfect flavor balance. YUM. I realized I could heat the mixture if I wanted to, but I enjoyed it room temperature.
As for the texture, I loved it. I added creamy avocado, the silky-tart “sour cream” and the walnuts had a nice firmness. I soaked both the walnuts and the cashews first by putting them in a small cup of water each that morning and then drained it right before I made the recipe for dinner. Soaking the nuts begins the process of germination and unlocks the health benefits of the nuts.
The theme of this taco is FRESH and super easy as there is no cooking involved.
Chipotle Walnut Lettuce (or Cabbage) Wraps with Mango Salsa
Vegan, gluten free
Only Slightly Altered from My New Roots
Serves 4 (2 lettuce wraps each)
Ingredients
Walnut Lettuce Wraps
1 cup raw walnuts
1 Tbsp tamari
1/4 tsp ground chipotle
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground chili powder
1 tsp olive oil
Cashew Sour Cream
1/2 cup raw cashews
3 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
4 Tbsp water
1 container market fresh mango salsa (or salsa of choice)
1 head romaine lettuce or red cabbage
Optional Toppings
Avocado
Cilantro
Fresh Lime
Caribbean hot sauce
Directions
1. Place all lettuce wrap ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet and pulse until just blended.
2. Place cashew sour cream ingredients in a food processor or magic bullet and blend to desired consistency. (You may need to add a bit more water if you like it thinner.)
3. On each of eight pieces of romaine divide 1/8 of the walnut meat mixture, a few Tbsp of mango salsa, drizzle 1/8 of the cashew sour cream and add desired toppings.
Estimated Nutrition Facts
2 Servings (2 lettuce wraps each)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 299.7
Total Fat 25.0 g
Saturated Fat 2.5 g
Polyunsaturated Fat 12.0 g
Monounsaturated Fat 3.1 g
Cholesterol 0.0 mg
Sodium 400.4 mg
Potassium 214.8 mg
Total Carbohydrate 15.2 g
Dietary Fiber 5.9 g
Sugars 3.3 g
Protein 8.4 g
Vitamin A 16.5 %
Vitamin B-12 0.0 %
Vitamin B-6 10.2 %
Vitamin C 18.5 %
Vitamin D 0.0 %
Vitamin E 4.8 %
Calcium 6.6 %
Copper 20.9 %
Folate 13.7 %
Iron 13.6 %
Magnesium 11.3 %
Manganese 51.4 %
Niacin 4.2 %
Pantothenic Acid 2.0 %
Phosphorus 10.7 %
Riboflavin 4.2 %
Selenium 2.2 %
Thiamin 7.8 %
Zinc 5.9 %
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs
This blog post was originally posted on August 3, 2011 on a sister website that I'm merging with VegeCooking. I'm leaving most of the original content but have updated and refreshed the recipe.