Cauliflower Tortillas
These cauliflower tortillas are a modern take on an ancient staple. About 8000 years ago someone amazing figured out that if you grind up wheat you can get flour out of it and make delicious things. The original tools used to perform this task were made of stone and they continued to be made of stone until the 19th century when Europe’s Industrial Revolution instigated the use of metal in mills to grind wheat.
Unfortunately, these “modern” processes also take away flour’s most nutrient-rich components (the germ and bran of the wheat). As usual, I am convinced that the Romans had everything solved perfectly as they used animals or water to power a stone which ground the wheat, leaving the nutrient-dense parts intact… but that is a story for another day!
Alas, here we are, with a new, cautionary tale every day that demonizes flour and gluten. This has lead us to some interesting and exciting discoveries. When we ask the question: what can I use instead of flour, we get many answers (some more disgusting than others). So far, my absolute favorite answer is: cauliflower!
We have made muffins and pizza crusts out of cauliflower with great success. Our most recent use of this oddball veggie is for cauliflower tortillas.
While they do break apart more easily than traditional flour tortillas, they are much more moist and flavorful. If you’re okay eating your burrito open-faced, it shouldn’t be a problem at all.
To include your kiddos
This is such a fun one to include the kids on! Cauliflower is awesome in its unique texture when raw, and your baby, toddler, or big kid can explore this.
Kids of all ages can watch the transformation from whole to riced, see it floating in water when you strain it, and help press it out through the cheese cloth.
Older toddlers can press blender or microwave buttons.
If working on knife skills, your dextrous babe can prepare the cauliflower (with a safety knife, of course).
Notes: The “dough” does have raw egg, but if that doesn’t bother you older kids can also help shape the tortillas. Have patience, it is a delicate process. (I recommend removing them from the tray when baked be an adult job.)
Cauliflower Tortillas
Ingredients
- 1 head cauliflower
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
you will also need a blender or food processor, parchment paper, and cheese cloth
Instructions
Prepare the cauliflower.
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Chop the cauliflower, discarding the stems.
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Blend it with 1 cup of water until it looks like cheese curds floating in the water.
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Scoop out the cauliflower and drain it either through cheese cloth or a clean dish towel.
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Place it on a plate and microwave for ten minutes.
Prepare the “dough”.
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Drain the cooked cauliflower carefully.
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Combine the cauliflower with the eggs and spices in a bowl.
Assemble.
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Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 400F.
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Measure out a heaping 1/4 cup of the cauliflower mixture and shape into six or seven tortillas on the baking sheet.
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Flatten them carefully with the back of the measuring cup. They should be thin, roughly 1/4″ thick.
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Bake them for ten minutes. Flip carefully, and then bake for another ten minutes.
Recipe Notes
These are fragile when they first leave the oven so avoid stacking them or using them as wraps until they’ve cooled completely.
