Monday, March 26

homemade tortillas: low carb style



eating practically paleo and now being on a ketogenic diet for fat loss, i don't really eat any processed carbs. sometimes i crave a piece of toast or a cinnamon bun, but i get over it.

however, there is something that's near and dear to my heart. it's something that has been at the table for every meal...right next to the salsa. i can't turndown a fresh, made from scratch, fluffly, warm tortilla. seriously, it's like turning my back on my culture. my grandmothers, both from Mexico, made them everyday for years. and, for most of my life, i ate them nearly everyday for years. i stuffed them with cheese, eggs, fajita, hot dog, potatoes, mac n cheese, spaghetti or just butter.

you name it, if it was a leftover, it was going to be reincarnated as a taco.


if you love tacos or enchiladas or burritos, you're gonna love this! i've been using almond flour as a grain-flour substitute. so, i thought it might work. i went to the web and searched paleo tortilla recipes. and, of course, the one that seemed to get right was from Mark's Daily Apple...those guys over there get everything right!

i made a couple modifications. instead of olive oil, i used bacon fat. because coconut flour is naturally sweet, i thought the bacon fat would give it a savory flavor. you could use beef fat (lard) or ghee (both come in organic varieties). and, i always prefer lemon juice to lime, unless were talking tequila. oh, and i added some salt.

this batter is going to be thin...almost like a crepe batter. in fact, these are a little like crepes. but, hey, there's about 1 gram of carbs in each of these tortillas. compare that to the average 20 grams in a grain-flour based tortilla.

ingredients:

makes 6-8 (about 5" diameter)

2 tablespoons coconut flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons water
2 whole eggs
2 tablespoons bacon fat
1 teaspoon lemon juice

in a bowl, mix the dry ingredients. whisk in the eggs and water. then, add the bacon fat. whisk until smooth. then, mix in the lemon juice.

heat a pan over a medium heat. once the pan is hot, gently pour in a 1/4 cup. immediately swirl the pan to spread the batter around. when it begins bubble and get cakey (about a minute), you can gently slip a spatchula underneath. if it slides onto the spatchula, you can flip it. if not, leave it for a few more seconds. let it brown on the other side for another 30-45 seconds.



if you want a crispier tortilla, like a tostada (also known as a chalupa), let it cook longer on each side until you get it as firm as you like. you'll need to add more butter to sort of fry them up.

allow them to cool on a clean dish towel. don't stack them right away, because the steam will cause them to crumble.



stuff them whatever your heat desires!



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7 comments:

  1. Wow...sounds wonderful. Our low carb diabetic group posted this. I'm intrigued.

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    Replies
    1. hi linda, thanks for the comment! they're awesome...in fact, we're having them for dinner tonight with oven braised brisket. the brisket will be posted next Monday.

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    2. I can't to try this receipe...that's the hardest thing for me to give up...tacos, burritos you name it are a big part of our household enjoyment, now I have an alternative...so that I don't have to give up my all time favorite :-P

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  2. How "eggy" are these? I made some homemade wraps last week that had 4 eggs, some Philadelphia cheese and ground flax but they are so eggy that they're a little off putting

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    Replies
    1. Hi Patrick! These aren't very "eggy". The coconut flour helps give it some flavor. You could substitute with almond meal too. I usually end up making crepes (blend 2 eggs and 2 oz cream cheese), because they're easier and thinner...they're not so "eggy" either. I hope you like them!

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    2. Thanks. I'll give them a try.

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  3. Mmmmmmmmmmm. This is awesome. My wife and I both love the bacon fat in some of our recipes, but we don't eat anything pork related these days because of her food allergies. Is there an alternative to the bacon fat? Pouting here.

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