Chicken Veggie Rolls with Avocado Dip

by Noor H. Salem

It’s difficult to go out for dinner and not order the mouthwatering appetizers, especially unique ones such as crab cakes or avocado egg rolls. One very popular upscale restaurant has a highly sought-out appetizer: avocado egg rolls.

They are perfectly crispy from the outside and soft and extremely flavorful from within. They come along with a sweet and savory sauce for dipping, topped with fresh cilantro, taking the flavor to another level.

While it was unfortunate to learn that this gourmet appetizer at this restaurant is in fact deep-fried with pork and other meat products, for many other reasons it’s best to make egg rolls at home. The egg rolls being fried with pork is enough of a reason we can’t consume them. I’ll share my avocado rolls recipe next week, but for now, enjoy this chicken veggie rolls recipe with a scrumptious avocado dip.

Chicken is very high in protein and contains countless vitamins and minerals. While many perceive that the chicken breast is the healthiest due to its lower fat content, the darker the meat of your poultry, the more vitamins and minerals it contains. For that, it’s recommended that you look for grass-fed boneless chicken thigh for these rolls, and your other favorite chicken entrees as well.

Avocados are simply remarkable, in both taste and health benefits. They have a high healthy fat content, granting you satiety, heart health benefits, cognitive health benefits, digestive health benefits, and much more. While many might hold the common myth that consuming fats, of any kind, will make you fat, healthy fats such as avocados or extra virgin olive oil can in fact aid you in losing weight.

These healthy fats protect your heart from various health conditions, improve your mood and cognitive health, reduce the risk of various cancers, improve digestion, and are great for your hair, nails, and skin. Healthy fats include extra virgin olive oil, cold-pressed avocado oil, fatty fish, nuts and seeds, avocados, coconut oil, and organic butter. Aim to consume more of these healthy fats, while simultaneously decreasing if not eliminating your consumption of hydrogenated oils and unhealthy fats.

Adding the bell peppers and onions only increase the nutritional value of these scrumptious rolls. Onions contain natural antibiotic and antibacterial properties, thus, strength your immune system and decrease your risk of getting sick. Bell peppers contain plenty of vitamin C, folate, vitamin B6, unique antioxidants, and vitamin A. They add a boost of minerals and vitamins while giving a nice touch of color. These rolls are best served fresh and could work well with the avocado dip or on their own.

 Ingredients:

Avocado Dip:

• 4 avocadoes
• 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
• ½ small red onion
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• chopped tomatoes or parsley (garnish)

Chicken Rolls:

• 14 organic tortillas (read your ingredients)
• 1 pound organic chicken thigh, cut into thin strips
• 2 red bell peppers
• 2 yellow bell peppers
• 2 green bell peppers
• 4 red onions
• Cold-pressed avocado oil, as needed
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon ground onion spice
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon dill
• 1-2 tablespoons Himalayan pink salt 

Directions:

1. Start by making your avocado dip; place all of the ingredients in a food processor and pulse until smooth and creamy. You may need to stop, scrape down the sides, and pulse again. Transfer to a presentable dipping bowl. Top with chopped tomatoes or parsley. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.
2. Slice the bell peppers and onions into thin slices, and place in a deep skillet. Add three to four tablespoons of organic cold-pressed avocado oil. Cook on medium-high heat until they are soft and tender.
3. In a separate skillet, cook the chicken strips with two tablespoons cold-pressed avocado oil until they are well-done. Add the spices and mix until well-incorporated.
4. Add the bell pepper and onion mixture to the chicken and mix well.
5. Fill each tortilla with a generous scoop of the filling and roll. Place on a baking sheet, single-layered, and brush with additional avocado oil (this allows them to have the crispy exterior).
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes, or until the edges are browned and crisp.
7. Allow them to cool down, and carefully slice each in half, diagonally. Place on a serving platter.
8. Serve with the avocado dip; enjoy!

Noor H. Salem is an author, speaker, and Certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, from Michigan. Noor works with clients in better understanding their bodies and healing with natural foods through her wellness practice, Holistic Noortrition. She presents various workshops, school lectures, group coaching classes, and community lectures on the topic of holistic health. Noor recently published her book, SUNNAH SUPERFOODS, a culmination of life-changing recipes and remedies, with a foreword by Dr. Waleed Basyouni. Her book consists of prophetic hadith, modern research, and delicious recipes, and is in the process of being translated into other languages.