Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Low Carb Gluten Free Soy Free Flour Tortillas

Texas! The land of Tex Mex, Tex Ritter, Boot Hill and now...the Low Carb GF SF Flour Tortilla


Low Carb GF SF Flour Tortillas make this Fauxtato,
Egg and Cheese Breakfast Taco a daily taste treat.
What if I promised you a pony?
Ok, I would like to give you a pony but your significant other would probably have my head on a platter and although low carb, it would not be good eats. Some people thrive on monkey brains, but mine aren’t so hot these days – post chemo!

So instead, what if I promised something simple?

Oh like, what if I promised you lifelong satisfaction, longevity, and a comfortable way of eating?

Ok, that still sounds a little lofty.

What if I promised you would never crave TexMex again?

Pick 'em up with your hands deliciousness!
What if I promised you breakfast tacos every morning?

What if I promised you could eat enchiladas, tostadas, tacos, flautas, soft tacos whenever your little heart desired?

What if I said, “Hey, you! Come and get your street taco!”

What if, huh?

Would you be happy?

Would you be able to commit yourself to a way of eating that included TexMex vittles?

But, but…

Ahhh, but no butt!  Cuz, see, I can make that promise. I don’t even have to be the Wizard of Oz to do it and no flying monkeys anywhere to be found…none coming from my posterior and no monkey brains being spilled. I can make that promise.

Now. How ‘bout if I could promise you could “PICK UP” things like street tacos, soft tacos, tostadas, tacos, and flautas with your grubby little hands?

What if I promised they were 100% gluten free, contained no soy, and the only nuts in evidence are in the form of coconut flour. Oh, and btw, what if I told you they were less than 1g of net carbs per tortilla. Would you crown me Queen of the Kitchen?

You should.

Cuz that’s just what I did.

I made flour tortillas for you.

Let the fiesta begin!!!

Egg Tostada - almost the same as Chilaquiles and Migas!
Low Carb all the way, baby!
Yes, they were so good, I force fed Denny and the boys breakfast tacos two mornings in a row and made ‘em eat egg tostadas this morning. Can you say, Chilaquiles? Course you can! Of course it’s much easier to say Migas. Cuz that’s what we call ‘em here in Texas.

These little 5” tortillas are a perfect street taco size and are easy to make. So easy even my sock monkey boys could make ‘em if I let them use a stove or any power tools (aka electric hand mixer).

Trust me though, I don’t. Let them use power tools.

You don’t want to see sock monkeys operate power tools. Whooooooo dogggey!

You don’t!

Low Carb GF SF NF Flour 
Tortillas (Updated 10.22.2012)

Serves – 8, 5” Tortillas (8 per recipe)
Prep Time – 10 Minutes
Cook Time – 30 Minutes
Difficulty – Even Goofy could make these



Low Carb GF SF Flour Tortillas will free you from the slavery
of buying products full of soy and preservatives!
Ingredients
4 oz Cream Cheese or Mascarpone
1/4c Egg Whites or Carton Egg Whites
2 tsp Powdered Egg Whites
½ tsp Baking Powder
1/8 tsp Garlic Powder
1/8 tsp Kosher Salt
2 Tbsp Parmesan Cheese
1-1/2 Tbsp Coconut Flour
2-1/2 Tbsp Boiling Water
2 tsp Knoxx Unflavored Gelatin





Directions


In medium size mixing bowl, beat cream cheese to break it up and soften it.


Add liquid egg whites a little at a time until well incorporated.


Add salt.


Add garlic powder.


Add baking powder.


Add powdered egg white.


Add parmesan cheese.


Add coconut flour.


Mix well for about one to two minutes.


Mix gelatin powder to boiling hot water and stir until gelatin melts. If gelatin
clumps up, try nuking it for 2-3 seconds and stirring again. If it still
clumps, add 1 additional tablespoon of boiling hot water.

Add gelatin to batter.


Beat well until batter thickens and becomes fluffy – about one minute.


Perfect consistency! Now you’re ready to make tortillas!

Cut parchment into squares and divide batter evenly into 8 mounds.


Scoop a mound onto parchment.


With the back of an offset spatula, smear a tortilla into about a 5” round.
Try to keep it even thickness and try not to get any creases in the parchment.


See? A great looking 5” round.


Nuke for 30 seconds.


Remove from microwave and turn tortilla face down into a hot non-stick skillet.
Parchment will still be attached. That’s ok!


After about 10 seconds, peel off the parchment paper. It comes right off.


Watch to make sure the tortilla doesn’t burn. They cook quickly.
Flip tortilla and cook on the second side.

Now here’s the important part! Place cooked tortillas in a covered dish. Please use glass or pyrex, hot foods and plastics are killers. (Ask how I know! Ahem…breast cancer…). Let the flour tortillas sit in a covered dish to steam and become more pliable while you are cooking the remaining tortillas.

There you have it! Soft flour tortillas.
Great with just butter, but awesome with any filling – egg or otherwise!

Wow! So you want something more? What? Maybe you want a crispy tostada or a taco? Well, I have to say, the corn tortillas are better than these for that, however, they aren’t almost Induction Friendly. These are! Soooo…

To make Tostadas and Crispy Taco Shells

Preheat oven to 250°.
Take tortillas and lightly spray with olive oil.


For tostadas, leave tortillas flat and place on a foil lined baking tray.


For crispy tacos make a foil snake the size of your desired taco and
gently drape the tortillas over the form.

Bake tostadas and taco shells at 250° until crispy – about 45 minutes. Please watch them. They will turn dark which will alter the taste. If browning too much, cover lightly with a foil tent and allow them to continue to crisp. You will need to re-crisp them before use if you aren’t using immediately.


Olé!!!

Nutritional Information

Full Recipe


















Single Tortilla





SusieT’s Notes –
I’m gonna give these 4 forks just cuz I can! Are they EXACTLY like flour tortillas? No! They’re made of coconut flour and cream cheese! Do they approximate it pretty good? Oh yeah!


Low Carb GF SF Flour Tortillas put breakfast tacos
back on the menu!
Do they do their FUN-ctional Food job without any whinin’ or back talk? Yep. As long as you don’t over fill them with wet guts, they work just dandy!

So, should I really be giving these tortillas 3 forks instead of 4? Mmmmm lemme tink bout that for awhile. Nah, I’m still stickin’ to my 4 fork rating.

Why? Cuz hello! They are less than a carb and under 75calories per tortilla!!! And there is not a speck of soy, gluten, or flax anywhere. I said ANYWHERE! When was the last time you could go to the store, look on a package of prepared anything tortilla, and make that same claim?

Well ya can’t. That’s why I worked so long to come up with a workable tortilla that won’t aid and abet these little mofos I might still be harboring inside me somewhere (breast cancer cells).

Hats off to Sherrie Lee and others at the LCF Recipe & Help Board who pioneered the use of nuking batter to make a tortilla facsimile and then giving a second cooking to make it more tortilla-like!

(Happy Anniversary, Mama and Daddy! Hope you guys are up there dancin' and eating breakfast tacos with the boss man! Love you both and miss you! Pssst..."they" were right, you were the greatest generation! Thanks for "learnin'" me about so much. Thanks for giving me my love of food and teachin' me to cook like a little Southern dumplin!)


35 comments:

  1. can't find powdered egg whites here :( quite disappointed as these look amazing.

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    1. Hi Diane,

      These will work without the powdered egg whites. The purpose of those egg whites is to make the dough more "durable". If you have glucomannan, you could add about 1/8 tsp - 1/4 tsp and see how that does. I made them the first time without them and they were just a little more fragile. You could try making them a little thicker and would only get about 6 from them instead of 8. But they still held up as a tortilla. The texture of them was in between a flour and corn tortilla without the egg white powder! Hope that helps hon!!

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    2. find powdered egg whites in a cake decorating supply store ie Wilton cakes (any store that sells Wilton or online @ Wilton.com) It's call Meringue.

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    3. Tiddlywinks - I think you sometimes have to be careful about meringue powder. Sometimes it's pre-sweetened. So you definitely need to read the lable! I have some here called "Just Whites" and it's Deb el brand. I found it on the baking isle and amazon also has it. The merengue powder I have is sweet and vaguely vanilla/marshmallow flavored. I use it for royal icing for the carb monkeys! And for gingerbread houses.

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  2. Looks very interesting.
    Do you think this will work without the egg white powder?

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    Replies
    1. Hi there! Yes, these will work without egg white powder. I answered Diane in the message above you and discussed what happens without them. I add them to try to make them less fragile. But you might be able to achieve that by simply making them a bit thicker! Or if you have access to any gums such as xanthan gum, acacia gum, agar agar, glucomannan, or anything that will approximate a "gluten" or stretchy factor to doughs.

      I purposely didn't use glucomannan in the recipe although it is a great addition to the texture of these, because I was trying to get a recipe that most people could just go out and buy ingredients at their local market. I didn't realize that powdered egg whites aren't on most people's shelves. I get mine on the flour isle and it's called Deb-El Just Whites Powdered Egg Whites. You can find them on Amazon and also Honeyville Grains has powdered egg white too.

      Hope that helps!

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  3. Hi,

    Thanks for your response. I haven't seen egg white powder in any local shops, but perhaps it is something they have in a health shop. I could also order online, but it will take a while to get here.

    Perhaps a bit of psyllium husk fiber or locust bean gum would work.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Hi there! I think any gum would do a similar thing! We are looking for some element to increase elasticity and I've found that it's similar to sweeteners. There appears to be a synergy effect that happens when using two or more "elastins" together than exists when only using one thing.

      Let me know how it turns out, please? Thanks and great to see you here!

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  4. Hello,
    Can they be frozen for future use?
    Thanks

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    Replies
    1. Yes, you should be able to, but make sure to put a sheet of parchment between each one!

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  5. I cant wait to try these!! Thanks for shareing!!

    Sonia

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    Replies
    1. They are so easy! Hope you like them! Let me know, ok?!

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  6. For the powdered egg whites, you also might try looking in the cake decorating section at Wal-Mart or any cake decorating supply store. They usually have them (Wilton's brand) for use in Royal Icing recipes.

    SusieT, we just love you and your recipes :) I'm also a born n bred, dyed in the wool Texan, and I truly enjoy sharing your site with my Yankee friends...LOL

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    Replies
    1. Oh, great resource tip! Thanks WW!! MUAH! And thank you for aiding and abettin' me and my predilection for "long talkin'" haha! I appreciate you sharin' Fluffy Chix with your friends and hope you will continue to be my pimp!

      (Oh no she did not just say that! I'm never gonna be allowed around decent folk again! ;) Sorry, gotta go. The boys have the Palmolive out and waitin'...)

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    2. Oh and always great to meet another Texan! Howdy! :)

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    3. LOl...I will totally be your pimp ;) And you're welcome :) I know some of the things we use to work magic in our LC world can be hard to find, so I never mid helpin someone out. I've been at this for a little over a year and I've lost right at 100 pounds, and I'm always learnin new stuff, it's only right to pass it along :)

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  7. Dear Suzie, I am dying to try these as I love love love taco's and duh, they are not low carb :( boo!! I live in the Netherlands in Europe and I must also admit I have never even heard of powdered egg whites :D Though there is a specialized cake shop, maybe they would have it...?? HHmmm, must check it out. Would using protein powder work do you think? (I have LOADS of that you see hihihi) Oh, and another thing: we do have gelatin but in leaves not in powder, any idea how much I should use? Thanks again for the brilliant genius things you do!! x

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    Replies
    1. Hi Nikki,
      Welcome!

      Try your cake place for the egg white powder. The purpose is to add a "gluten" type of stretchiness or elasticity to the dough. Protein powder would add body but not elasticity. Things that add elasticity are gums and glucomannan and egg white powder. I chose using gelatin and egg white powder cuz I wanted to make a recipe more people could make from things available at the grocery.

      Turns out, the egg white powder or gelatin is also a problem for people!

      As far as leaves...I'd start with trying to do a 1/4 of a leaf. If they are too brittle, then add more. If you are working with leaves, I would definitely double the recipe! And once I had the quantities worked out, I would then maybe double the recipe again!

      Also, please know another reader had issues getting her parchment to release. She used some kind from the internet.

      I used Reynold's Brand parchment from the grocery store. So if you have trouble with it releasing, the trouble is likely your parchment and you should try another brand before going crazy changing ingredients.

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  8. Great Suzie, thanks for the advice!! I'll give that new shop a look-see tomorrow then though I don't want too - the specialize in cakes and all kinds of sweet yummie things but I am strong...I AM!! :S x

    damn it.... am on my third try for the text thing at the bottom, I must be a robot

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    Replies
    1. Ha! I thought you looked like a robot. I took off word verification and hopefully that will make it easier on y'all. But if I start getting spammed by bots, up it goes again!

      Be strong. Why not call the cake place first to see if they have it. If not, why not order online from someplace in the UK? I bet they have them!

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  9. I have now made these tortillas several times. The first time they wouldn't come off the parchment, so I went out and got the Reynold's brand parchment, and it worked like a charm! And we LOVE them.

    Now to be specific: I used the egg whites from the carton in the milk aisle of the grocery store - brand name All Whites. The powdered egg whites are called Just Whites. I've used both Kraft parmesan cheese, and generic, grated, from the Italian market, and they both worked. I've also used both the Knox gelatin (one packet per recipe) and gelatin from bulk (2 tsp per recipe), and they both worked.

    We love these tortillas. It is just amazing that you can get a bready-like product with so little in the way of dry ingredients. You are so creative!

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    1. OMG! Maybe, just maybe the best review of my entire career! I'm printing and framing it. Or I might just save a step and copy it in crayola and magnet it to the fridge! :D

      Thank you for taking the time to give us such incredible feedback!!! I'm over the moon that the recipe works for you and that you and your family dig 'em!!! I think they are the next best thing to heaven, but I'm biased and a self-aggrandizer... *blush*

      MUAH! So where do I send the $0.25 for your more than generous words! :D

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  10. i used the know gelatine 2 tsp and added that to the 1 Tbl of water and it was a big glob, then added it to the flour and it never mixed. i ended up taking out the bits of gelatin and making them according to your directions and they came out great. what am i doing wrong with the gelatin. i even tried it twice with the same results.

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    1. Hi Farrah,

      I updated the recipe. I'm sorry you had difficulty with the gelatin. Here's what I do. I add more water (updated recipe reflects this). I also always make a double recipe so I actually only use 1 envelope of gelatin (3 tsps) and mix it with 1/4c of boiling hot water. I stir that until it dissolves and becomes thick and viscous. Then I nuke it for a few seconds and stir until it is liquid again! Then I add it to the mixture.

      I've never tried these without the gelatin!!!! Are you telling me that without the gelatin they stay flexible and have a good dough-like flour tortilla texture? IF so, cudos girl!!!! Please check back and let us know, ok?!! That would be an awesome accomplishment!

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    2. Yes I completely picked out the gelatin because it was little grainy globs so I easily just picked the pieces out and the looked exactly like your photos did, and were flexible and made great dupes. I haven't made them again but think I'll make another batch completely omitting the gelatin and I will tell you for sure. The only thing was I got about 6 tortillas out of the recipe.

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    3. Cool on making them and reporting back to us on how they turned out! :D

      So look, the 6 tortillas versus 15 last time I made them:

      1. Your batter may be too thick. Try thinning it out with 2-4 tablespoons more water. The consistency is kinda like thicker cream of wheat? It is easily spreadable and not watery. But I thin it out 1 tablespoon at a time until I know the consistency is right.

      2. You use too much batter or make too big of tortillas. Either way, they are still low cal and low carb. But not as cheap as if you get 15-16 tortillas out of a double recipe. I use the big spoon that came in my flatware set. It's called a "soup spoon" or tablespoon and is bigger than the coffee spoon. It's mounded. About 2 level tablespoons of batter. From there I smooth it into about a 5" disc.

      An easy way to moderate how much you use is to go through and "pre-measure" into another bowl. That way you can anticipate how many tortillas you will get out of that batch. You know if it comes up too short of 15-16 tortillas with a rounded tablespoon, then you need to add more water to extend it! Right?

      The 5" is perfect for tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, tostadas and tostada chips. But it's on the small side if you're using it as a burrito or sandwich wrap.

      Hope that helps!

      Let us know how it turned out! That's cool if we don't have to use the gelatin for texture!

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  11. I made a double batch tonight for some chicken fajita tacos. I left out the gelatin altogether and they still were soft and flexible, and tasted great. Total sub for tortillas...I can not thank you enough for this recipe. AWESOME. I got 16 tortillas out of the whole batch. Can't wait to make bacon and egg with salsa verde for breakfast tomorrow.

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    1. Hi Farrah,

      So happy you came back and reported your success. Now I can't wait to have time to make the flour tortillas without gelatin and test em out too.

      I'm so glad you're lovin' the recipe and it's helpful. To me, a tortilla that's 0.8g of net carbs is CRAZY awesome. LOL. Wait till you try them with enchiladas. We love them. And the breakfast tacos they make...not to shabby!

      Please tell all your friends about Fluffy Chix Cook website, will ya?

      Happy Thanksgiving girl!

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  12. Thank you for inventing these!

    We tried them tonight, and they were fantastic. It's so odd to bake like this, so we were worried, but they came out without a hitch.

    The flavor and texture seems like it would approximate crepes extremely well, too. After eating just one, I felt all kind of inspiration to make some low carb crepe dishes. I can't wait!

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    1. I know, right Miner? It's a totally different way of cooking, LC can be like that! But it has so many different applications once you get the technique down!! So glad you liked them!!! I think the texture of crepes would need to be a bit more tender (maybe only doing the micro part and omitting the stove-top step?)

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  13. Hi there, What subs can I use as Coconut flour is not available in stores here in Africa.

    Thanks Riki

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    1. Hi Rike,

      That's a deep subject! Coconut flour is soooooo "its own animal." It's super absorbent and holds hydration. In fact, when cooking with it, you tend to need more eggs when converting a recipe.

      I would be tempted to try either psyllium husks (measured then ground), or a mixture of chia seeds/flax seeds and some nut flour such as almond, sesame or pumkin seed (ground after measuring). To replace the coconut flour, with anything other than psyllium, you should double the quantity of flour. You could try using rolled oats (measured after grinding...use 2x the amount). Hope that helps and let us know how it works!

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  14. I'm late to the tortilla party & just found your brilliant recipe. Can't wait to make these. Don't have a microwave. Any idea if I can use the oven? Time & temp? Thanks!

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  15. Hi Joann,

    I don't see why you couldn't par-bake them in the oven. You do want to "griddle" them, because that's what gives them such a fun tortilla look. I would be tempted to use nonstick aluminum foil and then cover each mound with plastic wrap and use a flat-bottomed plate to press the tortilla out onto the nonstick foil (must be nonstick or else use parchment). Also, these tortillas were a little vulnerable to wet ingredients. The fix for that is to add about 1 teaspoon to 1/2 tablespoon of Psyllium Husks (whole) - use less if using powder. You will also need to up the egg white (liquid) to account for the extra thickness. Maybe a 1/4 cup should do it. But if it seems too thick add more. The plus side to this is it will make more tortillas with a lower carb count! I've been meaning to revisit the recipe and make changes, just can't right now. Sorry! But hope you will try it and let me know. If not there is another few tortilla recipes: Psylli Wraps on here that work great! I'd cook in a 350° oven for about 5 minutes then check them. They may take as long as 6-8 minutes but watch. All you want is for them to be set enough to put the pieces of parchment or tortilla into the pan to cook it. The parchment will peel off when it's done enough.

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