Wraps, Bumps & Videos

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Before we get all summery with today’s little picnic recipe, we wanted to share a couple of things.

#1. This not so small bump is about to give our lives a push into yet another direction – baby nr 3! We are overwhelmed with feelings, thoughts and confusedness (how will we even fit around the breakfast table?!) but I think we’ll save all that for another blog post. Luise is feeling well and is more than halfway through the pregnancy now.

#2. Massive thanks to all of you that came to our event in Lisbon this past weekend. We were overwhelmed by your kind words, hugs (and presents!).

#3. Check out this short little video that we created for our new book. More than anything else, we wanted to show how quick, simple and colorful smoothies can be. We will also be sharing instruction videos of all the drinks in this trailer on our youtube channel. The first one is coming up in just a few days.

The book is actually available in stores in Australia today, 1 June! It will be launched in the UK on 16 June and in USA & Canada on 2 August. It will also be available in German, Dutch, Swedish, Danish and Polish in September.

If you live in the UK you can pre-order it from Amazon.co.uk. Pre-order it from Amazon.com if you are in the US. And Booktopia.com.au in Australia and NZ.

We will be in London next week to launch the book with a bunch of events and press meetings. Unfortunately all our public events are already sold out but we are thinking about adding an impromptu little book signing/meet-up towards the end of the week if there is an interest? Leave us a comment below, letting us know if you would like to join and we will try to make it happen.

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Since our world seems to be spinning around smoothies at the moment, we wanted to share a savory recipe that you can hold in the other hand. We couldn’t think of a more perfect smoothie companion than a summery wrap filled with a green hummus.

When we make wraps, they tend to come out differently every time, but this vegan version is a real treat so I think it will be on repeat for our next couple of picnics. These are filled with large lettuce leaves, lots of herby mint & parsley hummus (also delicious on it’s own!), a lentil, avocado and cucumber salad and topped with fresh strawberries for sweetness and toasted sunflower seeds for crunch. Picnic is ready!

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Summer Wraps
Makes 8 wraps

The wraps can also be rolled directly in the lettuce leaves, without the tortilla, for a lighter gluten-free version. It is a little fiddlier but the parchment paper helps holding it all together.

8 gluten-free or whole grain tortilla bread
16 lettuce leaves (cosmopolitan or romaine)
Herby hummus (see recipe below)
Green lentil salad (see recipe below)
1 large handful sunflower seeds, lightly toasted in a dry frying pan
1 cup / 150 g strawberries, sliced

Place 2 lettuce leaves on each tortilla, then place 2-3 tbsp herby hummus filling in the middle, a couple of spoonfuls green lentil salad and top with strawberry slices and a generous sprinkle of sunflower seeds.
Fold the top and bottom edges over the filling. Roll the whole tortilla from left to right to wrap in the filling. Roll some parchment paper around them and tie with a string to hold them together while you transport them.

Herby Hummus
This makes more than you need for the wraps. Save the leftovers in a sealed jar and enjoy as a side throughout the week.

2 x 14 oz / 400 g cans cooked chickpeas / garbanzos
2 cloves garlic
½ cup / 125 ml lukewarm water
½ cup / 125 ml light tahini
4 tbsp lemon juice
4 sprigs parsley, rinsed and leaves picked
2 sprigs mint, rinsed and leaves picked
1 handful baby spinach, rinsed
salt, according to taste

Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to a high-speed food processor together with all other ingredients. Mix on high-speed for a few minutes, until smooth. Taste and feel the consistency. Add more salt or water if desired. At this point, you can also add a splash of olive oil for an extra rich hummus, if you prefer. Mix for two more minutes. Store in a sealed jar in the fridge.

Green Lentil Salad

1 cup / 250 ml cooked green lentils (any color works)
2 avocados
1/2 cucumber
10 sugar peas
¼ red onion, peeled
a few sprigs parsley, leaves picked
a few sprigs mint, leaves picked
a squeeze of lemon juice
a tiny drizzle of olive oil
salt

Rinse the cooked lentils and place in a mixing bowl. Cut avocados, cucumber, snow peas and red onion into small cubes. Finely chop parsley and mint and place all ingredients in the mixing bowl. Add a squeeze of lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of salt. Mix it all and season to taste.

Green Kitchen Stories

Curried Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps

Curried Chickpea Salad Lettuce Wraps

One of the best things to do when cooking is plan. Planning can help solve the “what’s for dinner” question and also prepare you for the next day. When I worked in an office, I found lunch to be the hardest part to plan. I’d think about it in the evenings and tell myself I’d get it in the morning. That never happened and inevitably I’d be grabbing something kind of junky out of desperation.

February is dedicated to sharing recipes that can easily be made while making dinner. Each recipe I share will have a corresponding dinner recipe that shares ingredients (making it easier to throw together.) For this particular curried chickpea salad, I usually make it while I’m making this chickpea curry with cauliflower. The homemade curry powder takes everything up a notch and the only extra prep is chopping the chickpeas/scallions!

This is the fourth (maybe fifth) chickpea salad I’ve shared on the site and with good reason. It’s fast to make, can be adapted to any taste, and may be the perfect vegetarian lunch. This curried chickpea version is my new favorite (then again, I love anything with curry.) Make up a big batch and eat it for a few days throughout the week. Pack this salad on a road trip or tuck it away in your carry on for a snack mid-flight-it’s great for so many meals/snacks. Read more and see the recipe.

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