Whole foods make for a healthy new year

Eat real food. Sounds simple, right?! Chef Audrey Barron, from Ezra’s Enlightened Café, shows us how whole foods can raise your quality of life in multiple ways! Here’s her take on a delicious veggie wrap using a collard leaf and a blended green soup!           Anti-Inflammation Quinoa Collard Wrap with Citrus Tahini Dressing

(dressing from Annelies’s Raw Food Power)

Makes 2 large servings

• 2 cups dried quinoa
• 2 nobs fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon dried turmeric
• 2 large collard leaves
• 1 cup steamed sweet potato
• 1 avocado, pitted and sliced
• 1 cup shredded carrot
• ¼ cup shredded beet

Dressing

• ½ cup olive oil
• 1/3 cup lemon juice
• 1/3 cup orange juice
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• 3 tablespoons tahini To make dressing: Combine all ingredients in blender and process until smooth.To make quinoa, add quinoa in pot with 4 cups of water, ginger, salt and turmeric. Allow to come to a boil then turn down to low, cover and let cook for 15 minutes.

  To make your wrap, add a cup of quinoa, veggies and a drizzle of dressing and wrap. Serve with a bit more dressing for dip and enjoy!

Simple Green Soup for Vibrant Health

Serves 1-2 people

• A good green soup can be your best friend when desiring to be healthy with little time and a busy schedule. Just blend and go! Full of nutrients, minerals, fiber and anti-oxidants – go green!• 1 cup fresh dill

  • 1 cup fresh parsley

  • 1 cup fresh cilantro

  • 3 cups chopped kale

  • 2 ribs celery, chopped

  • 1 apple, cored

  • 2 medium zucchini, chopped

  • 1 small cucumber, chopped

  • 1 med/large avocado, pitted

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 1 tablespoon miso

  • 2 tablespoons lemon

• 1 tablespoon nutritional yeast
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 ½ cups water (use more if needed and as desired)

• To make your soup, blend all ingredients except avocado until smooth. Add avocado and blend again until smooth and creamy. Taste and adjust as needed. This soup will always taste different each time as our fresh produce changes as the seasons change. Add more herbs, olive oil, sea salt, etc. depending on your preference and don’t be afraid to play!
• Serve with topped with chopped avocado, tomato, cilantro, hemp seeds and a sprinkling of nutritional yeast.
• To learn more, visit www.ezrasenlightenedcafe.com.