Turkey Chard Roll-Ups with Avocado Sauce

Chard roll-ups made with ground turkey, shredded carrots, zucchini and Asian flavors wrapped in chard leaves! A perfect protein-packed snack or appetizer.

Is it snack time yet? I feel like we deserve a break! Today's stuffed chard roll-ups are great when I want to grab a quick, healthy snack that's packed with protein. I made these little bundles so that you can grab one snack and be satisfied.

They're filled with ground turkey mixed with shredded carrots, zucchini and seasoned with garam marsala spice, thyme and ginger, and then rolled in Paleo, low-carb wraps (chard leaves!). Even though they taste delicious by themselves, I created a creamy avocado dipping sauce recipe because you can never say no to adding avocado! This recipe came to mind one day when I was looking for a snack that was high in protein and made with natural ingredients. I do like to keep protein bars in the car and in my purse, but so many are high in sugar, have too many ingredients and include chemicals and fillers. However, the chocolate covered Square Bars, NuGo bars are so tasty that I even have them for dessert! RXBARs only have about six ingredients and are perfect for on-the-go if you want something sweet. But for the times I want MEAT and savory, these chard roll-ups are a packaged deal!

Made with five, natural ingredients, high in protein and no sugar added, these stuffed chard leaves make a great healthy snack or appetizer. After running this recipe through my test kitchen, there are a couple things to keep in mind when making them. You'll want to squeeze the water out of the carrots and zucchini with a cheese cloth or paper towels before combining with the turkey to get rid of excess moisture.

The kind of chard leaves used depends whether or not you need to blanch them before rolling. To blanch the leaves means to dunk them in boiling water for 15-30 seconds until they are tender, but green. Typically you'll find swiss chard, rainbow chard and red chard in stores. I found the more tender/thinner leaves, like the rainbow chard and red chard, work best and don't need the extra step of blanching.

Steps for the perfect roll:

Slice a on either side of the thick chard stem in a "v" shape, about 1/3 up the leave. Place a dollop of filling above the cut—not too much so the filling fits! Fold both "wings" over the meat and keep tucking the sides in towards the middle, like a burrito, as you roll up. Place the roll in an oiled baking dish, loose end down. Line the rolls up, cover and pop in the oven. While the rolls are baking, time to start making the avocado dipping sauce! It's creamy, tangy, sweet and full of healthy fats, making it a great addition to these juicy green rolls.

The sauce is as simple as mashing avocado with sesame oil, coconut aminos, fresh ginger and apple cider vinegar (and cayenne pepper if you want a little heat!). Serve hot and start dipping! Zoey agrees, it's snackie-snack time! (Sorry, Zo, these are for mama!)

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Print here: Turkey Chard Roll-ups With Avocado Sauce Prep time: 00:10 Cook time: 00:30 Servings: 3

Chard Rolls

1 lb ground turkey olive oil for baking dish and drizzling 3 tbs carrots, heaping; diced or grated 3 tbs zucchini, heaping; diced or grated 2 tsp grated ginger, fresh 1 bunch red or rainbow chard leaves (6- 10)** 1 egg* 1 tbs coconut flour 1/2 tsp masala garam 1/2 tsp salt

Dipping Sauce

1 1/2 avocado 1 tbs coconut aminos 1 tbs toasted sesame oil 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated 1 tbs apple cider vinegar cayenne (optional)

Recipe Steps

1. Preheat the oven to 355º. Oil medium baking dish with olive oil.

2. Dice the carrots and zucchini. Sautee carrots and zucchini for a couple minutes until tender. Cool and squeeze the water out of the veggies with a cheese cloth or paper towels and set aside. Grate ginger and set aside.

3. **Blanch leaves (optional): If using swiss chard or stiff/sturdy leaves, boil water and turn down to medium heat. Place leaves in water for 15-30 seconds until softened, but still bright green. Dunk in ice water, dry off and set aside.

4. Mix turkey and roll up: Mix turkey with all ingredients listed under "Chard Rolls". Slice around the chard stems in an upside-down "v", 1/3 up the stem. Mold 2-4 spoonfuls of meat and place above the cut "v". Fold chard "wings" over meat and tuck in the sides as you roll up.

5. Cook rolls: arrange rolls, loose ends down, in oiled baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

6. Make sauce: Mash avocado and mix in next 4 ingredients.

Additional Notes

*The number of chard leaves depends on how large they are. The bigger they are, the more filling you can use! *For an egg-free option, leave out the egg.