Vegan Wraps and Sandwiches (Transitional Foods)

The past few months I have been eating more heated and cooked vegan/vegetarian/whole foods than usual. Perhaps it’s due to the much colder weather, and the availability of fresh foods (or lack of), and the holidays, or just the need to eat more comfort foods due to the enormous amount of stress in my personal life these days. Within that I have made many great “transitional” dishes, as well as found some new “transitional” products.

One of my favorite things to do lately is to place warmed foods on top of fresh, delicious, nutritious greens. I’ve been enjoying a lot of collard green wraps, and have been enjoying the occasional sandwich on Ezekiel raisin bread, and gluten free, brown rice tortillas. But my favorite will always be the collard green wrap!

Around the holidays I discovered a great vegan product at Whole Foods, Garden Protein International (GPI), otherwise known as “Gardein“. Gardein carries a variety of delicious frozen meatless foods, such as Sweet and Tangy Barbecue Wings, Mandarin Orange Crispy Chick’n, Chipotle Lime Crispy Fingers, Classic Style Buffalo Wings, Home Stlye Beefless Tips, Lightly Seasoned Chick’n Scallopini, and my favorite Seven Grain Crispy Tenders.

Gardein contains no dairy, no eggs, no trans fat, and is a great source of protein, and you can eat it hot or cold. The main ingredients are water, soy protein, grains (such as quinoa, amaranth, and millet) as well as other flavorings and seasonings. It’s a great meal maker!

Gardein also makes a variety of fresh meatless meals, and makes these items for food service and for restaurants. It’s a fabulous product!

So here are some very simple vegan meals that are great for those transitioning to a raw food lifestyle, or for those who just want to eat a healthy, yummy, vegan or vegetarian meal.

The Vegan Sandwich.
Ingredients:
2 pieces Seven Grain Crispy Tenders
2 slices Ezekiel raisin bread
1-2 T vegan mayo or cashew mayo
1 slice vegan cheese, or raw nut cheese
drizzles of prepared mustard
lots and lots of fresh leafy greens, including mache (lamb’s quarter), arugula, a mix of herb lettuces, and baby lettuces
1 slice tomato
sprouts or micro herbs (optional)

Preparation:
Spread mayo with mustard on slices of bread. Place 1 slice of cheese on 1 slice of the bread. Heat the tenders and place on cheese. Pile lots and lots and lots of greens on top of the tenders. Add slice of tomato and top with sprouts or micro greens. Place other sandwich slice on top and cut in half. This makes for a very thick and delicious, fresh, and nutrient-rich sandwich.

Recommends:
Instead of using bread, use collard greens and create wraps. Add slices of avocado, or pieces of dulse and cucumber. Whatever you feel like munching on that’s fresh and living. It’s all good!

Spicy Barbecue Wraps.
Ingredients:
3 pieces prepared Gardein Classic Style Buffalo Wings
1 gluten free, dairy free tortilla (I prefer the brown rice type)
1-2 T vegan mayo or cashew mayo
1-2 T crumbled raw goat’s cheese (optional)
lots and lots and lots of fresh, spicy arugula
handful fresh mache (lamb’s quarter)

Preparation:
Spread mayo on tortilla. Add crumbled raw goat’s cheese (if desired). Place prepared wings on top of cheese. Add the fresh mache, and then pile lots and lots and lots of fresh, spicy arugula on top (make it fat). Roll up the tortilla the same way you would as a burrito or fajita – whichever way is easiest to accommodate the tortilla (some break apart easily). Enjoy!