I like food. I love the contrasting colors, pungent flavors, and good feelings that come from it. And eating these naturally delicious whole foods is really just as wonderful when eating gluten-free.
For those of you who have just begun this process of switching your diet to its new gluten-free form I offer you these suggestions for making wrap style sandwiches work with gluten-free tortillas.
I know it can be frustrating to make a wrap with a cold, and somewhat dry brown rice tortilla only to look away for a second and find the whole thing in pieces. Think about it though, what happens to rice when you put it in the refrigerator? It becomes dry and hard, right? And to make it edible you heat it up with a little water?
This holds true for using rice tortillas also. For best results steam them, in a steamer basket or over a pan of piping hot food. Flip them, and wait until they get ultra pliable before removing and proceeding with your wrap or fajita or whatever your meal may be.
But I digress, I was in a hurry when I made these wraps and did not steam them long enough. And so, inevitably, they began to crack apart like you see happening in the top wrap in the photo above.
Another trick is to run a clean dish towel under very hot water, ring it out, and place it underneath the tortilla while you are putting the filling in.
Alright, so on the the wrap. The flavor combinations are unusual I know -- arugula, cauliflower, onions, roasted red peppers -- but the contrasting pungent flavors are truly delicious. Each bite is as savory as the last. And for me, maybe one wrap wasn't enough for this hungry breastfeeding mama of twin boys! Yes, I admit, I had two they were so good.
Roasting your own red peppers is super easy, it only takes about 10 minutes. And if you think you don't have time, just know I made these wraps along with a big pot of creamy (dairy-free) potato soup with four kids at my feet and Tom out of town for the day (and evening). It is a quick and easy meal as long as you have beans that are already cooked. I had a container in the freezer but canned beans would work too. Once it is made you will have tasty meals or snacks for days to come. I know for our family, having already-made bean spreads is indispensable.
If a roasted red pepper spread doesn't peek your interest then try our tasty, simple Hummus recipe.
Roasted Cauliflower and Arugula Wraps with Red Pepper Chickpea Spread
Roasted Red Pepper Spread:1 ½ red bell peppers, roasted *see instructions below
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 tablespoons almond butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Roasted Cauliflower:
2 tablespoons or so extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
fresh cauliflower, cut into pieces
sea salt
Other Ingredients:
fresh arugula or any fresh organic green
brown rice tortillas (steamed and still warm)
2 cups cooked chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
4 tablespoons almond butter
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder or 2 to 3 cloves fresh garlic
1 to 2 teaspoons Herbamare or sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Roasted Cauliflower:
2 tablespoons or so extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, cut into chunks
fresh cauliflower, cut into pieces
sea salt
Other Ingredients:
fresh arugula or any fresh organic green
brown rice tortillas (steamed and still warm)
To roast bell peppers: Place 2 or 3 peppers on a baking sheet under the broiler until the skin is charred, turning frequently, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove peppers from pan and place them into a paper bag or a covered glass bowl, let stand at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Remove peppers and peel off charred skin. Cut peppers and remove the seeds.
To make the spread: Place all ingredients into a food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Taste and add more salt, pepper and/or garlic if needed. *Note: if you are nut-free or have toddlers who are not yet eating nuts then you can replace the almond butter with sunflower seed butter or pumpkin seed butter (this one won't produce a color that is as lovely as the one pictured though). For toddlers, just take some of the spread out before you add the almond butter and stir in one of the above mentioned seed butters.
To roast the cauliflower: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Place onions and cauliflower pieces on a baking sheet and toss in olive oil. Sprinkle with a little sea salt. Roast for about 15 minutes.
To assemble the wrap: Steam and warm the tortillas like we talked about above. Spread with red pepper spread, add veggies and arugula, roll, slice in half, enjoy!
We would like to hear what other ideas for wraps you might have. Please share what you like best. Thanks and Happy Cooking!
