Get ready to have your mind blown. This week, I discovered a healthy bread alternative that is gluten free, vegan, tastes amazing and is super easy to make. It’s a cross between a traditional tortilla and Indian naan bread. It transformed my simple lunch salad into a really satisfying and tasty veggie wrap! I used leftovers for cute mini kale pizzas for my kids – another great food plan coming together (you know how much I love that). It turned out to be a great gluten free thin pizza crust option too. I’m really loving this cassava bread.
In the deep recesses of my mind, I remember a Brazilian friend mentioning a gluten free tortilla made of tapioca-like flour that tastes amazing and just like bread. I’ll admit it. I had my doubts. Definitely too good to be true. Then, I stumbled upon cassava flour on the very bottom shelf in Whole Foods. Similar to tapioca, cassava comes from yuca, but it’s made from the entire root making it more of a whole food. Tapioca is just the bleached and extracted starch of the cassava root, and therefore, is often used as a thickening agent. Cassava, on the other hand, can be used more like a baking flour and is easier to digest. It’s low in fat, calories and sugar making it a great option to keep your weight in check while still indulging on bread! Cassava flour also has a neutral taste (unlike some other gluten free flours like almond, coconut, etc.) making the bread taste similar to white bread. But this version has no refined carbohydrates – yes, a total winner!
Cassava Bread
Gluten-free bread that will blow your mind.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cups cassava flour
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/3 cup warm water
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 2 pieces parchment paper
Instructions
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In a bowl, put cassava flour and sea salt. Combine well. Add warm water and olive oil. Knead with your hands until combined well. Divide into 6 balls.
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On one piece of parchment paper, put a dough ball. With the heel of your hand, flatten ball into a disc. Place the other piece of parchment paper on top of the dough and roll into a thin tortilla. Repeat 5 more times to make 6 tortillas in total.
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Heat a cast iron skillet (or any kind of skillet) over medium high heat. Place the tortilla on the dry skillet. Cook until browned, about 1 minute. Flip and cook on the other side for another minute or so. Repeat for each tortilla.
Veggie Wrap
Ingredients
- couple handfuls of salad greens
- 5 cherry tomatoes halved
- handful of raw unsalted pumpkin seeds
- 1/2 avocado
- 2 pieces cassava bread recipe above
dressing:
- 1/4 cup raw apple cider vinegar
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1-2 tsp Dijon mustard
- sea salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
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On each cassava bread, put salad vegetables. Drizzle apple cider vinaigrette on top. Fold each bread in half and enjoy.
Cassava Pizzettes
Ingredients
- 4 pieces cassava bread recipe above
- Approximately 6 Tbsp marinara sauce
- 1/2 small ball of mozzarella sliced thinly
- 3 large leaves curly kale stemmed and chopped
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
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Steam kale in a steam basket or steam oven for about 3 minutes. Chop finely. On each cassava bread, put a spoonful or two of marinara sauce. Spread evenly, leaving a 1/4" crust edge. Add sliced mozzarella, then chopped kale. Bake for 10 minutes until cheese is melted and pizza is warmed through.