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Kale Wraps

 

My family was introduced to kale wraps at a Thai restaurant called A Taste of Thai in Greensboro, North Carolina.  They are one of the most interesting things I’ve had and they are definitely a conversation piece for a party.  As you eat the kale wrap, you get a burst of each of the flavors: ginger, lime, coconut, peanuts, red onion and tamarind sauce.  I didn’t even notice that I was eating kale. 

When I recently made these at home and my almost 2-year old son was chanting “more kale” I knew that the recipe was a keeper!  For the sauce, I initially created a honey-soy sauce drizzle which was great but not exactly what I wanted.  So, I called the restaurant and they were nice enough to share the secret ingredient: tamarind.  I found tamarind paste in a specialty store with lots of Thai ingredients.  Below I share both of my sauce recipes so that you can use the one of your choice.  The honey-soy version is a great option if you can’t find tamarind paste.  And if you don’t feel like making either sauce, the Litehouse Toasted Sesame Ginger salad dressing is a quick and easy store-bought option.

These wraps work when served as lettuce wraps but with kale being the “super” food that it is, I prefer serving them as kale wraps.  And because the wraps include several ultra-healthy ingredients (kale, ginger, coconut, peanuts, and onions) it was the star of my Tapas For a Cure menu.  

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Kale Wraps
Author: 
Recipe type: Appetizer
Prep time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 8+
 
These kale wraps are one of the most interesting things I've had and they are definitely a conversation piece for a party. As you eat the kale wrap, you get a burst of each of the flavors: ginger, lime, coconut, peanuts, red onion and tamarind sauce.
Ingredients
  • Kale leaves, cut into squares
  • Peanuts
  • Shredded coconut, toasted
  • Limes, scored and thinly-sliced and quartered
  • Ginger, chopped
  • Red onion, finely chopped, optional
  • Litehouse Toasted Sesame Ginger salad dressing, optional
Honey-Soy Sauce
  • 3 Tbsp honey
  • 1 Tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ Tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • ½ tsp garlic powder
  • ¼ tsp ginger powder
Tamarind Sauce
  • ½ cup tamarind paste
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 cups boiling water
Instructions
  1. To toast the coconut, spread the shredded coconut on a baking sheet and bake it at 375-400 degrees.
  2. It will only take a few minutes so watch the coconut closely to make sure it doesn't burn.
  3. Stir the coconut frequently so that it toasts evenly.
  4. Score the limes lengthwise.
  5. Then slice the limes into thin rings.
  6. Quarter the slices so that half of each quarter has the rind and half does not. (By removing some of the rind, the lime quarters will not overwhelm the wraps.)
Tamarind Sauce
  1. Pour the boiling water over the tamarind paste and let it steep for 20-30 minutes until it softens, mashing it occasionally to help it dissolve into the water.
  2. Then place the mixture through a sieve and discard the fibrous chunks.
  3. Stir the brown sugar into the remaining tamarind liquid and bring it to a boil.
  4. Let the sauce simmer for 10-15 minutes until it reaches a syrupy consistency.
  5. Let each person assemble the wraps by sprinkling peanuts, toasted coconut, chopped ginger, chopped onions and limes slices on the kale squares.
  6. Drizzle some of the sauce or dressing over the ingredients and roll or fold up the kale to eat.