Oil Free Tortillas!

Caroline Kavanagh | Jun 10, 2020

Customizable tortillas are now within my reach... and soon they'll be within yours! If you have a hankering for tortillas but don't want to consume substandard oils or toil away at the stove for hours, this recipe is for you! Just three ingredients and no oil needed... or for that matter, wanted. The key ingredient is white, yellow or blue organic masa harina (corn flour). Add sea salt and water... that's it folks! I purchased a 2 lb bag of organic yellow masa harina stone-ground corn flour. The brand I picked up online was Gold Mine with the simple ingredient list of organic yellow corn and a trace of lime. My kind of list :)

Making the tortilla dough starts with mixing the masa harina flour with a little bit of sea salt then add warm-hot water slowly as you mix. The dough needs to be moist but not so wet that it sticks to your hands when forming. Your after a clay-like texture. Scoop out about 1 ½ tablespoons of dough and roll it into a ball. Then press between your palms to form the dough into a slight disc. Then on a piece of parchment paper press the dough into a circle shape. Cover the dough with another piece of parchment paper and using a rolling pin, concentrate pressure in the center of the dough and lightly roll the dough out from the center to prevent the edges from getting too thin. You want to roll it out to about 1/16-inch thick. It should be thin enough that it doesn’t crack when folded, but thick enough that it isn’t difficult to handle. Right, this is the tricky part :P My first batch turned out a bit too thick. They still tasted great, but with round two, I divvied out all the dough into eleven small balls first, then rolled them out into discs. Bingo success! Once you’ve formed all the tortillas, it’s time to cook. Use a cast-iron skillet to prevent the tortilla from sticking to the pan..... remember there is no oil in this recipe... you don't want to have to call 911 ;) Heat the skillet over medium-high heat and once it’s very hot, add the uncooked tortilla. Cook for about 45 seconds. Then flip and cook an additional 45 seconds. The tortilla should be slightly browned in places. If not, you can flip it again and cook for 30 seconds more. Avoid overcooking as this can cause them to become brittle. If you do over cook, don't worry... they still taste awesome! Keep going..... :) Make tacos with chicken, fish, red meat, eggs or tempeh as protein source options. Or maybe use one as a "toast" and top it with some spinach, a poached egg and a dollop of salsa. So versatile! You decide. The possibilities for these tortilla's are endless my friends! Make a batch or two and keep them in-the-ready in the frig or freezer. Eat a few fresh as they are fantastic right off the griddle.

ENJOY!

Prep time: 1 hour 20 minutes Cook time: 10 min Makes 11 cakes - about 4 inches round Here's how to do it: Ingredients - 1 cup Organic Masa Harina (yellow, white or blue) - I used Gold Mine brand - 3/4 to 1 cup Warm Water (add slowly)

- 1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt Instructions: Add masa and salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Slowly add warm-hot water and mix. You’re looking for a clay-like texture that is moist but not so wet that it sticks to your hands when forming. You might not use all the water. If it is still too dry, add a bit more water. If it gets too wet, dry it out with a bit more masa. Cover and let rest for 1 hour (30 minutes if hurried). Once rested (I'm referring to the dough not you ;), get out a sheet of parchment paper and fold it in half. Scoop out about 1 ½ Tablespoon amount of masa dough and roll into a ball. Then gently press between your palms to form it into a disc. Place the disc on one half of the parchment paper and fold the other half over it to cover.

Use the palm of your hand over the parchment paper to press dough into a circle shape. Then use a rolling pin, concentrating pressure in the center of the dough to lightly roll out from the center about 1/16 inch thick. You can play around with the thickness to your preference. Too thin and it’s difficult to handle raw. Too thick and it’s more likely to crack when folded.

Heat cast iron skillet (medium-high heat). Once pan is hot, add the uncooked tortilla and cook until the edges start to lift away (about 30-45 seconds). Then flip and cook an additional 30-45 seconds. If both sides appear slightly browned, it’s ready! For more well-done tortillas, flip again and cook an additional 15-30 seconds. Repeat this process until all tortillas are cooked.

Stack cooked tortillas and cover with a clean dry dish cloth. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 2-3 days or freezer for 1 month. Best when fresh! You can reheat in the microwave.

3 Tortillas: CHO = 23g

PRO = 2g

Fat = 1g

Fiber = 2g Calories: 109 Metabolically Efficient: YES when paired with your choice of protein! A great meal :)

Ratio: 23:2 = 12:1