Gingery Sunflower Seed, Cabbage, and Red Apple Rolls

Gingery Sunflower Seed, Cabbage, and Red Apple Rolls

I’m so glad there’s so much enthusiasm over Lulu’s Chocolate! The deal is still up on Vegan Cuts, so do stop by and take advantage soon if you haven’t already.

Doesn’t the photo above just scream “autumn?” OK, well, to me it does. This may not be apple pie or pumpkin soup, but it sure does take advantage of some of the season’s best produce (fresh apples and purple cabbage), and it marries them with the bite of a little ginger. A quick, easy, and satisfying lunch roll!

This roll would work just as well with some collard leaves in place of the nori (nori is my latest obsession, but it’s not the only way to make this recipe work) or even some romaine leaves. It would taste great with a wide variety of nut pates or dips (I think my zesty orange cashew cheese would be great) and hummus (like my sweet potato hummus) would be a great substitute if you’re allergic to tree nuts or seeds, or if you want a lower fat/higher protein version.

The sunflower and ginger pate I use here is very simple. Feel free to embellish with spices, chopped vegetables, or even some dried fruit.

Super-Simple Gingery Sunflower Seed Pate (raw, vegan, gluten free)

Makes about 1 1/4 cups

1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked 2 hours or more
1 tsp ginger powder OR 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp Bragg’s Liquid Aminos (or nama shoyu or tamari)
Juice of half a lemon
2/3 cup water

Combine the first four ingredients in a food processor and combine well. Scrape the sides of the bowl, run the motor, and add the water until the pate reaches the consistency you like. Depending on how long you soaked the seeds, you may need less water or more than 2/3 cup.

For the rolls, you’ll want:

  • 2 sheets nori
  • 4 large romaine leaves
  • 1/2 cup shredded purple cabbage
  • 1 shredded carrot
  • 1 small gala, Fuji, cameo, or other seasonal, organic apple!

Cut the vein out of the romaine leaves. Layer about 2-3 tbsp of the pate along the bottom third of the nori sheet. Place the romaine on top, and then pile it high with half of the veggies and apple. Roll the sheet up from the bottom, seal edges with water, and repeat with the other nori sheet.

And voila!

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Check out all of that crisp, fresh, seasonal goodness. Oh, how I love apples!

Serving suggestions: I’d pair this with a big salad and about a half cup of lentils or beans. It would also work nicely with some steamed or raw broccoli and some of my cheesy sauce, or with a cup of autumnal soup (I’m really into my raw butternut squash and apple right now; I’m also a fan of my cauliflower and parsnip soup with cashew cream).

Note that when I give serving suggestions like the above, it’s to help you figure out what to do with raw meal components! Many new raw foodists don’t really know how to add bulk to some of their lighter culinary creations, or how to create a “full meal” from something like a collard wrap. That’s what I’m here for Smile

Before I go, I want to draw special attention to a post that touched me yesterday. This year, fellow blogger Susan of The Great Balancing Act was diagnosed with
Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, a cancer of the lympathic system that is treatable through chemotherapy. Susan is currently going through her rounds of chemo, and she is doing it with grace, humor, and wisdom. I couldn’t be more impressed with her attitude: having seen my own mother through chemo, and now that I watch dozens of children experience it daily as a pediatric hospital volunteer, I know well how much energy and courage it takes to remain positive throughout the process.

Susan’s blog, like many blogs, began as a weight loss/healthy living blog. Two days ago, she shared a few words on how illness, chemotherapy, and recovery have impacted her weight and her attitude toward her weight. I like to think that my blog is all about the intersections between health and body image, and for that reason, I encourage my readers to check the post out. It’s a wonderful reminder to all of us that we’re lucky to inhabit the bodies we like to fret over. As I move closer toward the dream of a career in health care, I’m ever more aware of how precious good health is. This makes me more committed to the lifestyle choices that matter to me, but it also makes me appreciate the sheer good fortune of having food to eat, and senses with which to savor it.

Thanks, Susan, for the perspective!

xo

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Categories: Snacks, Vegan Basics
Ingredients: Cabbage
Dietary Preferences: Raw

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    40 Comments
  1. Soooo good! This is the second recipe (first was the hemp/chai pudding which I’m now addicted to) I’ve tried after weeks of reading your blog. I really love the simplicity and freshness. Thanks for being such an amazing resource as I navigate my way into more vegan foods!

  2. Greetings from the other side of the world–aren’t apples wonderful now! I bet that roll would be good as a wrapped spring roll also (rice wrappers).

    Thanks for pointing to Susan’s post–limited time here but I’ll try to check it out.

  3. Just read Susan’s post. So true and enlightening. Thanks for sharing that, Gena!

    …Speaking of sunflower seeds, have you tried Kaia Foods’ Sweet Curry Sprouted Sunflower Seeds? SO. DELICIOUS.

  4. Thanks for info on Susan blog, I will check it out. Have a family member going thru same ordeal and it may inspire her as well. This is why so many of us commit to vegan and raw diet to keep our temple pure and healthy so not to take our good health for granted. Your going to be a very special Dr. with your compassion and your commitment to health diet.

    Have Nori in my cabinet and now I know what I’m going to do with it. YUM
    THanks

  5. The rolls are gorgeous and that pate will easily become a staple for me.

    Thank you for sharing the link to Susan’s blog post as I’m not familiar with the blog. Her post is powerful. You know how I feel about being kinder to ourselves about our bodies and I find this particularly moving. It’s easy to say it from a “headier” place. This is raw, authentic and hopefully a wake up call for many of us.

  6. oh Gena, this looks beyond amazing! one of the best looking seaweed recipes I have seen. Cannot wait to make this. just need to get me nori sheets!

    xoxo
    m

  7. Agh, I have meant to make one of your raw sunflower pates so many times and just never have. But this sounds so wonderful I really should get on it. I’m all over the nori-cabbage-apple combo too.

  8. That sound wonderful. Lately I have been having apple, carrot and cabbage combo on a salad. I have trouble passing up a lovely organic apple this time of year!

  9. Thank you Gena. For reasons I’m not quite ready to discuss publicly, your last comments are very important to me right now. And being into my second 14 hour conference work day, the first part looks good too!

  10. The wraps look beautiful! And thank you so much for the link, I know I needed the reminder. I am so lucky to have my health, and really nothing matters more than that. Thank you.

  11. Susan is such a sweetheart and Ive been reading her blog for years..thanks for mentioning her blog and her thoughts and outlook.

    And thanks for the great wraps. I love how colorful they are and the play of black with the vibrant veggies. Love the match-stick sliced radishes in there…I bet their crunch with the nut pate is a perfect match!

  12. I’m definitely benefitting from your current nori obsession, I have a big bag of it and I’m loving all these ways to use it. I also appreciate the bulking suggestions! It’s crazy how un-creative I am sometimes.

    Thanks for sharing Susan’s post. I watched my mother go through treatment for the same illness, and she was so incredibly sick and frail, she promised she’d never complain about extra weight again. Hearing Susan put it so eloquently was just the reminder I needed, amidst my current struggle with disordered eating and learning to eat mindfully, that health matters and not weight. I hope I never have to experience what she’s going through to drive the point home.

  13. Thank you so much for sharing and spreading my words! Unfortunately I had to get sick to learn some of these things. My hope is that others won’t have to wait until their body is in danger to learn just how wonderful it already is.

  14. I love rolling nut butts in raw collard greens. I, more often than not, (and guiltily) slap on way way way too much nut butter. My favorite (and stand-by) is raw cashew but sometimes I roast pecans in the oven and grind them up;consistency is a bit runny but very decadent!
    I’m thinking that if I add other ingredients in there (as you so beautifully employed in this post): sliced apps, grated stuff, shreddy lettuce- it may inspire me to use less butter so as to accommodate more fixings! Self-trickery!
    I bet a play on PB&J might be good. I’m sure it’s been done before though. And the taste might clash with the Nori… seaweed doesn’t go with everything! Or does it…?
    Happy Wednesday!

  15. I have yet to experiment with nori rolls because they seem tricky to put together but yours look beautiful! All those fresh and crisp flavours sound delicious too.

    Thanks for linking to Susan’s blog – her perspective on cancer and her weight is so honest and refreshing. I think lot of people can stand to take a page out of her book, myself included.