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Bell pepper and broccoli sprout wraps with crushed walnuts and avocado
Flavor Structure
This recipe incorporates the crisp bitter flavors from the broccoli sprouts with creamy avocado and crunchy walnuts. The red bell pepper adds punctuated texture and a light sweetness to balance the bitter components. The smooth hummus dressing pulls all the tastes together and the chipotle adds a smoky heat kick to counterbalance the cold rawness from the vegetables.
Ingredients:
4 Nori sheets
3 oz of Broccoli sprouts
½ Avocado
1 Red bell pepper
3 Tbsp Low-oil/no oil hummus
Unsweetened unflavored almond milk
10 walnut halves
Chipotle powder
Instructions:
Slice the bell pepper into strips and then again into rectangles. Chop the walnuts into smaller pieces. Place 3 Tbsps of hummus into a bowl and slowly pour in the almond milk and mix until you reach the desired thickness for your dressing. Add a good pinch of chipotle powder and mix it in.
Dice an avocado into cube-like shapes.
Lay down 2 nori sheets on a cutting board on top of each other. Take half the sprouts and place them ¼ inch up from the bottom border of the nori sheets. Drizzle the hummus dressing on top of the broccoli sprouts and place a thick line of dressing about 1.5 inches from the top border of the nori sheets (acts like glue). Place the bell pepper, avocado, and walnuts into the bed of broccoli sprouts. Carefully wrap the nori sheets by starting from the lower border and rolling upwards (this takes a little practice) tuck the lower border of the nori right after the broccoli sprout salad and continue to roll upwards until you close the wrap. Place the wrap seam side down on a plate and let it sit for around 3 min.
Repeat this process to make the second wrap. Enjoy!
Nutritional Design
A single sheet of nori seaweed contains 70% of your daily requirements for iodine – an important nutrient for thyroid and brain function. Iodine deprivation can affect your brain’s hippocampus which is important for mood, visual-spatial memory, and converting short-term memories into long-term memories. If you are not eating iodized salt or taking it in supplemental form – eating seaweed like nori can ensure you get this vital mineral.
Interestingly, eating one sheet of nori a day was found in epidemiological studies to improve gut flora and reduce breast cancer risk by 50%.
The broccoli sprouts are power packed with neuro-enhancing sulforaphane which helps turn on Nrf2 which has been linked to mood improvements and neuron protection.
Note: Nrf2 (“nerf” 2) is a protein that turns on genes in your cells to make potent detoxification enzymes, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds that play a key role in developing stress resilience for your body and is involved with improving the pathophysiology of mood disorders.
One medium red-bell pepper contains up to 169% of the RDA for vitamin C which is an important antioxidant for the brain and an important cofactor for neurotransmitter production.
Walnuts contain several potent neuroprotective compounds including full-spectrum vitamin E, unique antioxidants like juglone, and high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids. Animal studies suggest that walnuts could be helpful in preventing age-related cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease. In human studies, walnut consumption was associated with better working memory and higher BDNF (brain fertilizer) levels.
Avocados provide broad-spectrum carotenoids that help with eye function, vitamin E, and more B-vitamins than any other fruit. They also improve blood flow to the brain with high amounts of omega-9 fatty acids.
The fats in this recipe help slow down the digestion process which gives more time for important nutrients to be absorbed.
Tips
-It’s important that after you wash your sprouts and other vegetables that you make sure they are completely dry before you make these wraps. Otherwise you will make the nori soggy which ruins the dish.
-Once you make these wraps, they need to be eaten within 10 minutes or the nori will begin to lose its crispness.
