Raw Kale Wraps with Edamame Pâté, Ginger Mint and Carrot Apple Slaw

Dear World Wide Web: I've been avoiding you.

At a cottage over the weekend, full of group-meal-planning, a steady flow of failed food substitutions arose. There was too much water in my coconut whipped cream: it became coconut whipped spread. I didn't have the right ingredients to cut the gluten-free injera: it became compost. As my first failed crepe batter turned into pizza crust,  I consistently flipped a flawless wheat-flour batch. When my second crepe batter attempt separated into sizzling puddles of disappointment, well - a girl can only bounce back so quickly.

Long story short, I've been feeling defeated. Nothing new here. Last week, steering away from creativity and experimentation, I burnt my last frozen veggie burger, and with my cupboards void of any fixings, wrapped it in rice paper with some mustard and lettuce. Low point.

Moving forward- and using what was in my fridge, freezer and garden for inspiration- I've peeled myself off of the kitchen floor and dusted off my food processor. The result: these little hand-held pockets of goodness. Just what I needed to feel better.

Raw Kale Wraps with Edamame Pâté, Ginger Mint and Carrot Apple Slaw   

Ingredients:

For the edamame pâté
1 cup edamame
1/3 cup walnuts
1 cup arugula leaves
1/4 cup fresh cilantro
1 clove garlic, smashed and minced
2 tbsp lemon juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

For the slaw  
2 carrots, grated
2 small apples, grated
1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds
1/8 cup finely sliced red onion
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice

Other ingredients
Ginger mint leaves (regular mint leaves would also work here)
Kale

Directions: 

In a food processor, blend all ingredients for the edamame pâté. Set aside. 

Grate the carrot and apple. In a large bowl, combine with lemon and vinegar right away, to prevent the apple from too much discolouration, and then gently stir in the sunflower seeds and onion. 

Wash and remove the stems from the kale, carving out any additional tough bits that go into the leaf. With the stem side facing toward you, spread a small spoonful of the pâté onto the centre of the leaf, covering most of the surface area. Add a small spoonful of the slaw and a couple of ginger mint leaves. 

Roll the kale leaf away from you, and cut it in half at the centre for serving. Garnish with mint leaves.

This recipe should make about 10 rolls, depending on the size of your kale (mine had already had her bigger leaves harvested).