Monday, December 15, 2014

Wrapping up Those Super Greens

If you're watching your gluten, dairy and sugar intake as part of a anti-inflammation diet, what to have for lunch can be a daily quandary.  Chronic inflammation is a major cause of diseases like heart disease, diabetes, Parkinson's, cancer and macular degeneration, among many others (for a more comprehensive list, see blue box below).  

I'm always trying to add as many super greens to my meals as possible-- they are awesome inflammation fighters.   During the warmer months a lunchtime salad with added super greens is the perfect option.  But along about now, when the temperature drops, I start to feel like a need a little something that will add some heft to my lunch...something rib-sticking.

A wrap is a great solution because you can stuff it full of super greens, sprouts and veggies for a fantastic inflammation-fighting, tummy-filling, healthy and tasty lunch.  Some of our favorite wrap add-ins are hummus, chicken, tuna, smoked salmon, olives, tapenade, pesto and oven-roasted tomatoes.  Just toss in any of these and you've got a fabulous inflammation-fighting lunch.

Sonoma Wrap with kale, hummus and baba ganoush.  So good it's addicting!
La Tortilla Factory makes a nice tasting gluten-free wrap called the Sonoma. It's large, it's strong and it stands up to some serious loading.  The Sonoma gluten-free wrap is made from teff and millet, a big improvement over lots of gluten-free foods that are made from tapioca, potato, rice and arrowroot flours (which are all starches and do some serious blood-sugar spiking, which, by the way, leads to chronic inflammation.)  Teff and millet, at least, have some protein and teff is high in resistant-starch, which works to help stabilize blood sugar, while millet is helpful in managing diabetes and is an anti-inflammatory.



But what could be even better than a store-bought gluten-free wrap?  Well, why not make your own wrap?  I found a very nice gluten-free recipe for wraps in the book Wheat Belly.  This recipe features flax meal, one of our very favorite inflammation fighting ingredients (flax meal is high in omega-6s, for more information, see here.)

This is a nice recipe, it's very filling, the ingredients are all healing, and it makes a delicious wrap.  The wrap, however, doesn't have a lot of structure and will fall apart if you fill it up and roll it.  I suggest that after you roll the wrap, you then wrap it up in wax paper or plastic wrap so that your lunch will hold together.

It also helps to cut the wrap in half before loading it up.  This makes it much less unwieldy and easier to eat.  You can always eat both halves--just eat them separately.

Or, why not treat the wrap more like an open faced sandwich or tostada.  Pile all the good green stuff on along with your favorite add-ins and eat it all with a fork.


Homemade Wheat Belly Flax Wrap

Super green spinach leaves, oven roasted tomatoes and kalamata olives.  

Wheat Belly Gluten-free Wrap

3 T ground flax seeds (I use pre-ground seeds from Bob's Red Mill)
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t paprika
Freshly ground sea salt
1 T coconut oil, melted, plus more for greasing the pans (olive oil also works)
1 T water
1 egg grass-fed organic


Mix together flax and baking powder. Stir in melted coconut oil. Beat in egg and water until blended. Pour into greased microwave safe pie plate. Microwave on high for 2 minutes until cooked. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Gently lift an edge with a spatula, loosen from the pan. Flip the wrap over and top with desired toppings.

Serving Size: 1 wrap



I thought it would be interesting to adapt this recipe by creating a version that uses einkorn ancient wheat flour instead of flax seeds.  This version seems to have a bit more structure and holds together just a bit better.  The ancient wheat grain einkorn version would be a low-gluten version, safe for many people with gluten intolerances, but not safe for anyone with celiac disease. For more information about einkorn flour, see here.



Einkorn Low-Gluten Wrap


1 T plus 2 t einkorn flour
1/4 t baking powder
1/4 t onion powder
1/4 t paprika
Freshly ground sea salt
1 T olive oil, plus more for greasing the pans
1 T water
1 egg grass-fed organic


Mix together einkorn, onion powder, paprika, salt and baking powder. Stir in olive oil. Whisk in egg and water until blended. Pour into greased microwave safe pie plate. Microwave on high for 2 minutes until cooked. Allow to cool for about 5 minutes. Gently lift an edge with a spatula, loosen from the pan. Flip the wrap over and top with desired toppings.





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