Vegan ‘BLT’ in Spinach & Spirulina Wraps with Chipotle Red Pepper Aioli
Serves 2
Since The World Health Organisation classed processed meats, such as bacon, as a Group 1 carcinogen, I think the good old days of me enjoying BLTs are long gone. But my all-things-American-loving-teenage-self still dreams about that delicious crispy smoky sandwich. So my healthy-mid-thirties-mum-self wanted to try to emulate that tasty high by swapping the bacon for tempeh (which is fermented soy beans if you aren’t yet familiar), and subbing the bread for spinach wraps. The latter was waaaay easier to make than it sounds, thanks to the good people at Sweet Pea Pantry. They do handy gluten-free pancake mixes filled with more goodness than you could shake a stick at. All I did, was add a handful of fresh spinach and a teaspoon of spirulina and hey presto! The green tacos of your dreams have appeared! I don’t know about you, but I’m not a massive fan of the taste of spirulina — when I add it to my smoothies, it’s a real effort to gulp it down. But it is high in iron, calcium and fibre so I do try to incorporate it when I can, and it’s perfect in these wraps because, apart from adding to their wonderful green colour, you don’t notice it at all.
I also just discovered another delicious cheat — Tofurky Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon. Usually I spend copious amount of hours in the kitchen trying to imitate a certain flavour or dish, using healthier ingredients, but as soon as I lay my eyes on this pre-marinated tempeh, I knew it was going to be love at first sight! Now all that was left was to chop some tomatoes and lettuce (and even my 5 year old managed to help me with that part), and lightly fry the tempeh strips.
One serving (3 tacos each) provides a nice 23g of plant-based protein, 460 calories, a third of my daily fibre; and 22% and 40% of my daily Vitamin A and Vitamin C requirements respectively.
INGREDIENTS
For the Wraps
· 1 pack of Sweetpea Pantry Grainy Brainy Pancake Mix
· 250ml Milk (I used Unsweetened Almond milk)
· 1 Egg (or Flax Egg)
· 1 Big Handful of Fresh Spinach
· 1 tsp Spirulina Powder
· 2 tsp Herbs of your choice (I used Dried Rosemary & Sage)
· A pinch of Salt & Pepper to taste
Note — this recipe makes 8 pancakes, so there will be 2 left over for lunch the next day to fill as you wish!
For the Rest
· Coconut Oil for frying
· 1 packet of Tofurky Smoky Maple Tempeh Bacon
· 1 Baby Gem Lettuce
· 3 Heirloom Tomatoes
Optional (yet delicious) Serving Suggestions
· Sliced Avocado
· Smoked Red Pepper Aioli
For the Aioli
· 2 tbsp Vegenaise (or Mayonaise)
· Zest & Juice from 2 Limes
· 2 Pre-roasted Red Peppers (from a jar)
· 1 tsp Smoked Paprika
· ½ tsp Chipotle Chilli Flakes
· Salt & Pepper to taste
METHOD
· Add all of the ingredients for the wraps into a blender and blitz until thoroughly combined with no lumps.
· Heat a little coconut oil in a frying pan, and pan fry the wraps one by one, much like you would a pancake.
· Repeat until all of the mixture has been used, and then set aside. Note — don’t lay the wraps on top of each other while they are still hot because they will go soggy.
· Blitz all of the Chipotle Aioli ingredients in a high-speed blender until smooth. Set aside.
· Chop the tomatoes and lettuce.
· Pan fry the tempeh slices until lightly golden on each side.
· Now it’s time to have fun assembling the tacos!
· Serve with a squeeze of lime.
Nutritional Information
Macros per 3 tacos
Calories — 460
Fat — 11g
Carbs — 68g
Protein — 23g
Fibre — 8g
Vitamin A — 22%
Vitamin C — 40%
Iron — 12%