Spinach Glazed Black Bean Wraps are a spicy black bean puree, layered between homemade gluten-free wraps, with a spinach and lemon glaze.
A Black Bean and Spinach Tapas That Wows!
A special evening was planned at my home and I wanted to create an unusual tapas nibble before dinner.
My evening was to be a party with friends to watch the Oscars, and while black bean ‘anything’ might not seem fitting for a fancy gathering, This one was!
Black Bean Dip
No, this dip is not for chips, though it could be; this dip was to be spread between homemade wraps, or even between small blini, for a smaller appetizer.
Having made crepes a gazillion times, this time I wanted a gluten-free wrap that I could stack, with the puree between the layers.
Above all else, I wanted the black bean puree, or dip, to surprise the taste buds with lots of flavor, so for sure this dip is spectacular alone.
Fancy Wraps
Once the stacks were assembled, now looking ‘zebra-like’, I sliced them into long slivers, easy to eat as a finger-food, and served them with a drizzle of a spinach and lemon glaze.
With black beans, chili peppers, teriyaki sauce, garlic and a splash of lime whirled into this dip, assembly goes fast and holds its shape all evening, without making the wraps soggy.
Wraps, Tortillas or Crepes?
On this particular evening, I made the crepes out of rice flour, rice milk and coconut oil for a gluten-free wrap.
Since making these, I have seen so many gluten-free wraps to choose from at the grocery store that buying them, just makes good sense too, if you need to make these quickly.
It seems that ‘wraps’ have become an international ‘thing’.
Having cooked on The Great American Recipe, with PBS, I can’t tell you how many times some of the other contestants used ‘wraps’ in a dish they prepared.
Spinach Glaze
What is a spinach glaze, you ask?
Having grown up in a Mediterranean influenced home, we used spinach in so many healthy and delicious ways.
- Spinach Walnut Pesto – walnuts, having many more nutrients than pine nuts
- Healthier Spanakopita – made with olive oil and not butter
- Beetroot Spinach Bread Braid – two fabulous bread doughs braided together
- Spanakopita Muffins – 1 of 52 unique muffins you never knew you needed
How To Make Spinach Glaze
For this glaze, though, the spinach is simply wilted down with lemon, garlic and a drizzle of olive oil, pureed, then back into the pan to thicken with a sprinkle of cornstarch.
Once the glaze reaches a ‘pourable’ consistency, it gets drizzled across the stacks of wraps for a high-end restaurant presentation!
Black Beans and Spinach For Healthy Snacks
These impressive stacks, that keep well in the fridge, just make sense for afternoon snacks, tv watching munchies or cocktail hour.
Certainly, one the black bean puree is made, it makes for a healthier spread across the kids lunch sandwiches, than mayo!
Remember, this appetizer is fiber rich, protein abundant black beans, iron packed spinach and vitamin C from lemon and that kick of heat to boost the immune system. Make it often, as I now do!
Ingredients Needed
- Cooked Black Beans
- Salt
- Olive oil
- Hot chili peppers
- Garlic
- Teriyaki sauce
- Lime juice
- Spinach
- Lemon juice
- Cornstarch
- Wraps, or Make them with included recipe
- Rice flour
- Eggs
- Rice milk
- Coconut oil
- Ginger powder
Equipment Needed
- Crepe pan or tortilla pan
- Mixing bowl
- Whisk
- Measuring cup
- Ladle
- Measuring spoons
- Spatula
- Parchment paper
- Sauce squirt bottle
- Knife
- Food processor or blender
- Stovetop or burner
Spinach Glazed Black Bean Wraps
Ingredients
- Black beans – 15 oz can
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Olive oil – 1 tbsp
- Hot chili peppers – ¼ tsp dried or 1/2 tsp fresh
- Garlic – 2 cloves
- Teriyaki sauce – 1 tbsp
- Lime juice – 1 tbsp
- Spinach – 1 lb
- Lemon juice – 1 tbsp
- Olive oil – 2 tsp
- Garlic – 1 clove, crushed
- Salt – 1 tsp
- Cornstarch – 1 tsp
- Wraps, Tortillas or Crepes – 10, made or purchased
- Rice flour – 1 cup
- Eggs – 2
- Rice Milk – 1 cup
- Coconut oil – 1 tablespoon, melted
- Ginger powder – 1/2 teaspoon
- Salt – 1 teaspoon
Instructions
- Place all the beans, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon olive oil, peppers, 2 cloves garlic, teriyaki sauce and lime into a food processor and whirl until pureed. Set aside.
- Heat a wide frying pan with a lid, place the 2 teaspoons olive oil, lemon juice, crushed garlic, salt and spinach in the pan with the lid on. Shake a few times until the spinach begins to wilt.
- Remove the lid and stir a few times until the spinach is cooked but doesn’t lose color.
- Puree in the blender. Transfer back to the warm pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1 teaspoon of water until diluted.
- Pour over the spinach puree and warm, stirring, until it thickens. Cool.
- Transfer to a squirt bottle or simply drizzle across wraps with a fork.
- To assemble the wraps, spread the black bean dip evenly across a tortilla, not thick but even. Place another tortilla on top and spread dip again. Repeat until you have 4 or 6 layers.
- Cut long, narrow slices until you have 5 or 6 wedges of multi-layered wraps filled with dip.
- Place on a platter. Drizzle or squirt a zig-zag of spinach glaze across each stack and serve.
- – Place all ingredients in a blender, food processor, or use a mixer. Mix one minute. Place batter in fridge for one hour.
- When ready to make the crepes, lightly oil a non-stick pan. Pour about ¼ a cup of batter into the center of the hot pan, and whirl the pan around to spread the batter thin.
- As soon as you see little bubbles forming on top, flip it over for just a few seconds, then remove. Crepes cook very fast so don’t take your eyes off them! Lay each crepe out (unstacked) to cool completely.
- Once cooled, stack the crepes with parchment paper between each layer, store in an air tight baggie/container until ready to assemble.
Nutrition
I believe the table... that place that draws people to gather, is the most powerful symbol of togetherness. All that happens before the table is set, the planning, the gathering, the preparing, are all an intricate part of the dance that create the mood of celebration to share with friends and loved ones.
