Today’s cauliflower tortillas are inspired by an old favorite. It’s confession time. Back in my high school days, Taco Bell quesadillas were my go-to fast food. The spicy jalapeno sauce was my favorite part. Nevermind all the processed ingredients those quesadillas were filled with – I wasn’t even thinking about that stuff back then. Sure, I still tried to get my veggies in, but looking at food processing wasn’t even in my radar. A lot has changed since then and I haven’t eaten fast food in years, but for some reason that creamy jalapeno sauce got stuck in my head recently. It occurred to me that I could probably recreate it without using any processed ingredients. Enter my health-ified low carb quesadillas. All the gooey, cheesy goodness, a tantalizing jalapeno kick, and none of the carbs or gluten! And, the tortillas are made with cauliflower. (But if you prefer a ground flour, try these almond flour tortillas instead!)
How To Make Cauliflower Tortillas That Won’t Break
I make low carb tortillas with coconut flour and cauliflower nachos all the time, but since I’m always looking for a challenge, I wanted to try my hand at the best cauliflower tortillas recipe. More specifically, I really wanted to make a version that wouldn’t fall apart! Cauliflower tortillas have actually been one of my favorite low carb and grain-free wrap alternatives for years now. But, up until recently, they were not very sturdy. Without the gluten found in traditional ones, most cauliflower tortilla shells tend to rip or fall apart rather easily. I was determined to change that. And it worked! With the simple addition of xanthan gum, I’m pleased to report that these tortillas are beautifully pliable! You can fold them, roll them, and do pretty much anything that you would with regular tortillas. I usually avoid gums and thickeners, but for these tortillas the xanthan gum really was necessary. It’s worth the tiny amount required, I promise.
The Trick To Making Cauliflower Wraps
If you haven’t tried cauliflower tortillas yet, now you have no excuse not to. You can do it with just four ingredients (plus salt) using this recipe. They are deceptively easy to make and taste delicious! Of course, they also happen to be packed with fiber, low in carbs, and made primarily with good-for-you cauliflower. What’s not to like? The main trick when making cauliflower wraps is to get aaaall the moisture out after steaming the riced cauliflower. Place the steamed cauliflower rice in a cheese cloth, and squeeze, squeeze, squeeze! Seriously, when you think you’ve gotten it all out, squeeze it like ten more times because you haven’t. It takes patience, which isn’t my strong suit, but for these yummy cauliflower tortillas, it’s totally worth it. The result should be a much smaller, dense blob of cauliflower mush that sticks together. It may not sound appealing, but it will be when the tortillas are done! Just in case, there is one technique to save these low carb cauliflower wraps if you find that they are fragile after you take them out of the oven. Mainly this happens if you didn’t get enough moisture out. (I warned you, right?) If you run into this situation, they are still salvageable! Simply fry them open-faced for a bit before folding them over when making quesadillas. This will help make them more sturdy.
Low Carb Quesadillas Using Cauliflower Wraps
Since these cauliflower tortillas started with a craving for Taco Bell quesadillas, you can probably guess the first thing I ended up making with them. Low carb quesadillas, of course! The great thing about them, aside from how good they taste, is that you can make everything in advance. Then, just quickly assemble when you’re ready to eat. The creamy jalapeno sauce tastes even better if you chill it to allow the flavors to develop. Sometimes I like to make a big batch and store it in the fridge for sandwiches, wraps, and more. The cauliflower wraps can be prepared ahead of time, too. I store them in a plastic container with paper towels between them to absorb extra moisture. When you’re ready to serve the low carb quesadillas, just spread the sauce on the cauliflower tortillas, top with shredded cheese, fold in half, and fry them up until the cheese melts. You can even microwave if you’re particularly impatient, but pan frying yields better results. I think I found my new lunch obsession. I made these low carb quesadillas without chicken so that I could serve them for my vegetarian cousin, but you could easily add in some pre-cooked grilled chicken for extra protein. These cauliflower tortillas would be delicious for any other recipe needing a wrap. How about using them for bang bang shrimp tacos from Wicked Spatula? You can easily make those low carb by using these tortillas, sugar-free honey in the sauce, and possibly skip the tapioca. If you’re sticking with the quesadillas, there are plenty of other versatility options, too. Why not throw in some grilled veggies for good measure? What are your favorite low carb quesadilla fillings?
Baking Sheets – You will need two baking sheets to roast your cauliflower for this recipe. This is the one that I prefer to use. Parchment Paper – Don’t forget to line your baking sheets with parchment paper for easy clean-up. Food Processor – This food processor is great for pulsing the cauliflower for this low carb recipe.
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