Raw Collard Greens Rainbow Wrap + Cashew Ranch Dressing

Rainbows are symbolic to spring. As part of my "Inspired by nature," motto, I spent much time in nature this spring, studying the petals, the colors and the leaves to inspire my culinary creations. Seattle's springtime weather is a mixture of sun, clouds and rain. And sometimes the sun shines while it rains, creating some of the most beautiful rainbows I've ever seen.  

Tulips are a significant part of our PNW culture. Every year, thousands of Seattleites visit the Mount Vernon tulip and daffodil fields. It's not as spectacular as the Netherlands, but it is a must-see while visiting Seattle in the spring. 

Walking around Queen Anne, I "never" realized how intricate the color-patterning of the tulips. Various hues of warm and cool colors, some of which fuse together to paint the petals with natural beauty. 

Tulips promote the rainbow. Their petals match the same color as the vegetables we eat, and this also includes white. White is the color of purity, wholeness and completion. White signifies balance of all the colors and balances the positive and the negative qualities.

The sun, considered our fuel source, contains all the colors of the prism and emits white light generated from heat. When you look into a prism, you'll notice all the different colors of the rainbow. White light contains all of the wavelengths, which is no surprise as why the color white is important in various cultures and spiritual practices. The sun, like our metabolism, is a power-being that releases heat.

The fuel we eat signifies the type of heat (energy) we will burn. This is why food from nature is ever-so-powerful. 

Rainbows are symbolic to ancient cultures and spiritual beliefs/practices. Rainbows represent spirituality, ascension, hope, potential, transformation, divinity, creation and expansion.  

Rainbows are as majestic as they are mysterious. It is one of the most beautiful artistic creations from the divine. Many Polynesian cultures believe rainbows are messengers from God, like the rainbow goddess, Anuenne. Our very own native Americans share the story of the Rainbow Prophecy. The Norse people saw rainbows as a bridge, "bifrost" from the Gods to the earthly plane. 

Rainbows are also a significant part of the Bible and our seven archangels. 

Some refer to the rainbow as "angel colors." From an energetic standpoint this makes sense. As a student from a lineage of yoga taught in India, the Bible and archangel perspectives of color are similar to chakra and aura theory. 

According to color-meaning.com, here are the seven archangel color meanings: 

1. Blue- Angel Michael (the leader of all angels). Also denotes Spirituality
2. Yellow- Angel Jophiel (Thoughts/Wisdom)
3. Pink- Angel Chamuel- ( relationships)
4. White- Angel Gabriel ( revelation)
5. Green- Angel Raphael (healing)
6. Red- Angel Uriel ( wisdom/energy)
7. Purple- Angel Zadkeil  (angel of Mercy).

Color-meaning.com states, “a rainbow is a sign from the Almighty that we are not forgotten”. It is mentioned in the story of Noah’s Ark; after God appeared before Noah following the flood, there was a beautiful rainbow in the sky signifying his Glory and Power as well as His Covenant

Spring is an extroverted time of year. It's the season where we shed our hibernation skin and expose ourselves to the world. The earth gains more light at this time of year and we feel more energized, revived and renewed. It's important to fuel our spirits with energy-gaining foods.  And one way to expand your soul and transform your metabolism is through the type of food you eat.

Eating the rainbow is more than a trendy, hippie fad. In fact, I am sad that everything I loved as a kid is now a corporate sell-out fad (ahem, unicorns). You cannot be a unicorn by ingesting cups full of artificially-colored sugar coffee.  

Let nature be your guide. Let nature be your teacher. Let nature be your source of fuel. 

Last year, I did a raw juice blog based on the rainbow colors of the rhododendrons: 7 Easy & Affordable Detox Juices: A ROYGBIV Inspiration from Seattle’s Rhododendrons

As the earth gains light, bring the light from nature into you. Secretly, plants emit light during photosynthesis, something we cannot see, but important to ingest. 

Rainbows signify a union between the elements: earth, air, fire and water. The sun (fire) emits rays, which pierces through dew (water) in the sky (air) and strikes the planet (earth) with its beauty. 

Like the seven archangels, these wraps include seven ingredients, smothered by a touch of white - an all-natural cashew ranch dip. 

Raw Collard Greens Rainbow Wrap + Cashew Ranch Dressing
Prep Time: 20-30 minutes
Serves: As many as you'd like

Ingredients: 
Medium-sized collard green leaves
1 cup cherry tomatos, quarter and de-seeded
1 large carrot, grated
1 yellow pepper, thinly sliced
1 avocado, thinly sliced
1 cup purple cabbage, thinly sliced
1 beet, grated

Dressing:
1/2 cup cashews soaked (at least 2 hours)
1/4 cup + 1 tbsp almond milk
2 tsp lemon juice
1.5 tbsp fresh parsley
1.5 tbsp fresh chives
1 garlic clove
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp oregano
Splash of olive oil + apple cider vinegar
Pinch of pepper

Directions:
Wash and prep the vegetables. Cut the stem off of the collard greens. Use a small knife and shave off the fat part of the stem on the outside of the leaf. Load your collard greens with the vegetables in any method that suits you (don't over stuff). 

Roll the greens like a burrito. Fold in the short ends (stem sides) of the leaves inward. Begin rolling the large end of the flap nearest to you and roll until complete. Cut in the middle, or just slice off one end. If you need help keeping the leaves together you can use a toothpick. 

For the dressing, place all of the ingredients, except for the parsley and chives, into a food process. Blend until smooth. Once complete, stir in the chives and parsley. 

Check out our other Rainbow Inspired recipes:
7 Easy & Affordable Detox Juices: A ROYGBIV Inspiration from Seattle’s Rhododendrons

Let's Connect! Save all your MBSF recipes in your Yummly recipe box!

Yum

Follow