A Teadora Favorite - Collard Roll Ups with Coconut Curry Kale

"We love the ingenuity of this recipe, from the combination of greens to the garlic, coconut, curry, and orange filling. It's uniquely delicious."

Where we found it: Food52, one of our favorite foodie sites.

The creator: Diane Hoch, a natural foods chef from New York.
The dish: Sushi roll-style veggie bites -- perfect for a bento box lunch.
At a glance: Blanch the collards, stir-fry the kale in delicious aromatics, slice up some vegetables, and roll.

 Serves 4

4 large collard leave
1/2 cup water
5 cups purple Kale, torn into small pieces
2 tablespoons coconut oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 tablespoon orange juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon orange zest
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 avocado, sliced
1 carrot, cut into ribbons with peeler
1 tablespoon horseradish root, grated

To blanch collard leaves: In a large sauté pan add water to coat bottom of pan, about 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Place a collard leaf in pan and blanch leaf until it turns bright green in color, about 10 to 15 seconds on each side. Repeat with remaining leaves. Let cool, then cut out the thick part of the spine leaving at least 8 inches to fill and roll. Set aside. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, add coconut oil. Once melted, add garlic, orange juice, orange zest, maple syrup, curry powder, and sea salt. Mix well and sauté until mixture begins to bubble, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add kale and toss to coat. Cook until the kale becomes tender and wilted, approximately 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Place a collard leaf top side down on a cutting board. Layer 1/4 of the sautéd kale and spread it in the center of the leaf horizontally. Then add a quarter of your avocado slices and a 1/4 of your carrot ribbons. Roll collard from the bottom around ingredients like a sushi roll. Cut any excess from the leaf at the end. Slice with a sharp knife into 1 1/2 inch sections. Sprinkle with freshly grated horseradish and enjoy! Yum!

Thanks to Giulia Cole, my beautiful 19 year old aspiring chef and daughter for keeping us always on top of great recipes, restaurants and great food, Food52 and Chef Diane Hoch for the allowing us to share this great recipe and beautiful photography! Val