Soft, Flexible Cassava Flour Wraps

Where I live there are quite a few street vendors and retail food outlets selling wraps of all kinds. Some wraps are thick somewhat like pita bread, others are thin with a slight crisp on the edges. What stays fairly consistent wherever you buy is that the wrap must be flexible enough so that when filled it does not break and the wraps should not get soggy too quickly. These gluten free and vegan cassava wraps meet those 2 main criteria.

Cassava flour is perfect here because it is naturally a "sticky" type of flour. Doing the flour scald recommended in the recipe adds extra elasticity and chew to the wraps. The wraps also hold up really when they are filled. I prefer thinner wraps for their flexibility and because I do not want more flour than filling. These wraps are also distinct from any of the roti recipes I've shared, but I suppose you could use either somewhat interchangeably, even though roti is not as "bendy" as wraps.

With just one main type of flour, these wraps are also easier to budget for. You could even substitute the tapioca starch or the flaxmeal with an equivalent amount of cassava flour. However, I rather like the flaxmeal in this recipe for added fiber and because it holds moisture adding to the soft texture of the wraps.

On to the recipe...

Notice how sticky the scald becomes, thhere are no dry bits

As the wrap cooks it will form bubbles on the surface

Soft, Flexible Cassava Flour Wraps

Gluten Free and Vegan Cassava Flour Wraps Recipe

Ingredients

1¾ cup cassava flour

2 tbsp tapioca starch

2 tbsp flaxmeal

¼ tsp xanthan gum

¾ tsp salt

1/3 cup oil

¾ – 1 cup water (room temp or lukewarm)

1 cup of hot water

tapioca starch to roll out the dough

Directions

Bring a cup of water to boil. To ¼ cup of the cassava flour add ½ cup of hot water and stir until the cassava looks like a ball of jelly. If you need more boiling water add 1 tablespoon at a time so that all of the cassava flour is mixed properly. Set this aside to cool. You will not need hot water from here on

While you are waiting for the cassava flour scald mix to cool, add the rest of the dry ingredients to a bowl and mix well

Add the cooled cooked flour and other wet ingredients but not the water to the dry ingredients and begin to mix or knead. Using the lukewarm water add it to your dough in small increments until it holds together and is fairly smooth. The dough should be somewhat sticky and not stiff, you may need more or less water than what the recipe specifies

Lightly flour your work surface.

Pinch off pieces of dough to form balls 3”- 3½” in diameter. Knead and roll the dough lightly around on the floured surface to form a smooth ball. Use a light touch and as little flour as possible. You can add a little oil to the palm of your hands while you work. Set the rounds aside on a greased surface or bowl and cover with a tea cloth or plastic wrap. Repeat the process with the remaining pieces of dough. Leave the rounds to rest for at least ½ hour

Once the dough has rested, heat a tawa, grill or skillet to moderate

Keeping the remaining pieces covered, on a lightly floured surface gently roll out one of the dough balls to your desired thickness. I roll mine to just less than 1/8” thick (which is thin). Turn the dough occasionally and add a little tapioca starch at a time to prevent the dough from sticking to the surface or tearing

Place the wrap on the tawa to cook. Small bubbles will appear and the edges of the wrap will set. The wrap will not colour as richly as it's wheat based relative. Once the edges are set and the wrap has pulled away from the tawa, flip and cook the other side. Brushing the wraps lightly with a little bit of oil as they cook, helps them to remain soft

Once the wrap has finished cooking stack on a plate and cover with a warm tea cloth or two

The wrap is best served warm. To store wrap and freeze immediately as it's cooled. Reheat and serve at once.

Garlic Breadsticks with a Cheesy Roasted Pimiento and Tomato Dip

This is a recipe for my gluten free and vegan garlic breadsticks served with a dairy free roasted pimiento and cheese dip

As a child I loved making dips. So naturally I needed to make something to go with the dip. Fried wanton wrappers was a favorite as were any kind of “chips”. Pizza type breadsticks was another favorite. Of course it got easier to simply buy breadsticks than to make them, at least until I went gluten free

Getting “fresh” gluten free (and vegan) breadsticks to buy is almost impossible. My solution? Make my own, et voila, this recipe

This recipe is fried then baked which make’s it more appealing and it is not GREASY! You could flavor, season and shape it to your liking. It is best served within a few hours otherwise it will lose the crunch (I can’t see how it would last a few hours though). If you’re making ahead or just want to keep the breadsticks crispy, store in a warming drawer or your oven on a keep warm setting (usually around 200F)

This dip is dairy free, I use nutritional yeast to get the cheesy flavor and the roasted pimientos to add some depth. I like coconut milk here because it has more body than store bought almond milk for example. Just like the breadsticks, you can definitely add more (or less) seasoning to the dip. If you’re not up to making the dip, a store bought gluten free dip would do

You can bake these breadsticks without frying them. I also have another breadstick recipe that is baked that you can try

As always if you have questions send me a message and I’ll help where I can

Garlic Breadsticks with a Roasted Pimiento Chessy Dip

Gluten Free and Vegan Garlic Breadsticks Recipe

(with a dairy free roasted pimiento and cheese dip)

Ingredients

The Breadsticks

½ cup brown rice flour

¼ tapioca starch

¼ cup potato starch (not potato flour)

2 tbsp almond flour

½ tbsp psyllium husk powder (or ¾ tsp xanthan gum)

¼ tsp instant yeast

1½ tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

¼ tsp of dried basil*

¼ tsp of dried oregano*

dash of cayenne powder (to taste)

3-5 finely chopped garlic gloves (to taste)

95 g of potato boiled and mashed (e.g. russet)

1 tbsp olive oil

1/3 cup coconut milk (more if needed)

1 tsp vinegar

tapioca for rolling out the breadsticks

Oil for frying

*fresh finely chopped basil and oregano can be used

Cheesy Roasted Pimiento and Tomato Dip

4 – 5 large pimiento

160 g tomatoes (diced)

1 small onion (chopped)

4-5 garlic cloves (chopped)

½ tsp salt

2 – 4 tbsp nutritional yeast**

dash of cayenne pepper

2-3 fresh basil leaves

½ – ¾ cup coconut milk

Oil for sauteing

**Adding more nutritional yeast will make the sauce cheesier

Making the Dough

Mix together the dry ingredients until properly combined. Add in the chopped garlic and mix again

Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients all at once. Mix or knead to form a somewhat smooth dough. The dough should be lightly sticky to the touch but firm and easy to handle.

Cover the mixing bowl or wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap and set aside to rest for at least 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate the dough for several hours or overnight. The longer rest period enhances the flavor of the dough.

After the rest period continue to shaping the dough

If you used a longer rest time, when ready remove the dough from the fridge and allow it to warm up a bit if it is too stiff to work with. There is no need to let it come to room temperature.

Shaping the Dough

Pre-heat your oven to 425F. Line a tray (12” x 8” at least) with parchment paper and set aside

In a skillet heat to moderate some oil for frying, enough to almost cover the breadsticks (a little less that ½” in height)

Prepare a floured surface to make the bread sticks. Since the dough is not very sticky, it should be fairly easy to work with and you should not need a lot of flour to roll it out. You can moisten your hands with oil or water, or dust your hands with some of the tapioca starch to help you handle the dough.

Pinch off a piece of the dough, leaving the remainder of the dough covered while you work. Roll the dough into a smooth ball then roll the ball to form a noodle about 1/2” thick. Cut the noodle into your desired length, I made mini breadsticks each around 3½” long. Place the bread stick on the baking tray and continue until all the bread sticks have been made

Starting with the first one (you can do several at a time without overcrowding) fry the bread sticks until lightly browned on each side. Remove form the oil and drain on paper towel (I place a layer or two of paper towel over the parchment paper in the tray I have prepared and when I’m ready I simply remove the paper towel)

Once you finish frying, place the tray in the oven and bake for 8 – 10 minutes. The breadsticks are done when they have browned

Remove from the oven, allow to cool on a wire rack. Serve warm. If using the same day and within a couple of hours, you can leave the breadsticks on a low keep warm setting in your oven (200F or less and covered with foil).

Best served the same day, otherwise wrap tightly and store in the freezer for an extended period of time

Making the Dip

Pre-heat your oven to 425F

Place the pimientos whole or sliced in half on a baking tray. Bake until the skin is blistered and charred, you may need to turn the pimientos at least once. Remove once sufficiently charred and set aside

Heat a skillet on medium to low heat. Add just enough oil for sauteing. Add the chopped onion and garlic to the skillet and saute on low for about a minute. Add the tomatoes, cover the skillet and allow the tomatoes to cook on low without adding any liquid 8-10 mins. Once the tomatoes are tender and falling apart a bit add the rest of the ingredients. Allow the sauce to simmer for about 5 minutes, do not let it burn, you can add more milk if you prefer a less chunky sauce. Using an immersion blender (or some other type of food processor), blend the sauce to make the dip. You can decide how chunky you want the dip and therefore how long you need to blend

Serve the sauce alongside the breadsticks

Delicious Peanut Butter Snack Bar

In comparison to store bought snack bars or granola bars, these are healthier, delicious, filling and far less expensive!

The Benefits of Eating Nuts and Seeds

As a whole eating nuts and seeds can be very satisfying and they are packed with a variety of nutrients, protein, fiber and powerful antioxidants (once you can have them).

There is research suggesting that the nutrients in nuts can have a protective effect on heart health, diabetes prevention, cancer, neuro-generative diseases and further may be helpful for weight loss or maintenance.

Seeds are said to contain a surprising amount of nutrients including essential fatty acids like omega-3, protein, fiber and a range of healthy antioxidants.

I am only restating what I have found in my online research, you must decide whether you agree or not. However, based on that information, it is safe to say that this recipe makes a better for you snack bar.

What if you cannot have nuts?

If you are allergic to nuts, you can use a variety of seeds. There is even allergen-friendly sunflower butter which can be used in place of peanut butter. You may need to vary the amount of milk you use but the recipe itself works well with substitutions

Health Benefits of Dark Chocolate

My recipe also includes dairy free dark chocolate chips. Chocolate is made from the seed of the cacao tree and cocoa is rich in flavanols, which are plant chemicals loaded with nutrients that can positively affect your health. In fact, quality dark chocolate is rich in fiber,

iron, magnesium, copper, manganese and a few other minerals. Dark chocolate is also loaded with organic compounds which include polyphenols, flavanols and catechins, that function as antioxidants.

Dark chocolate might help to protect your heart, reduce the risk of diabetes and lower blood pressure.

Even while I'm saying that this bar is better for you, especially in comparison to store bought bars, I am not giving you medical advice, nor am I suggesting that you can binge on them without consequence. Your health is your responsibility, my bars just makes that task 'sweeter"

Other Snack Bar Recipe

You can also try my refined sugar free snack bar, which has slight variations to this recipe.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Leave me a comment or contact me if you have questions

Gluten Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Snack Bar

Gluten Free and Vegan Peanut Butter Snack Bar Recipe

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

¼ cup of unsweetened cocoa powder

¾ cup coarsely ground nuts and seeds*

¼ cup chocolate chips (I used 65% dark and dairy free)

1½ tbsp flax meal (ground flax seeds)

¼ cup peanut butter (or other nut butter)*

¼ – ½ cup coconut milk (add a little at a time)*

pinch of salt

2 tbsp brown or coconut palm sugar (optional)

Notes*

Any combination of nuts and seeds can work e.g. almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds. I’ve also used dried fruits like cranberries

The peanut butter I used was sugar and salt free with no added vegetable oils. If you are using peanut or other nut butter with sugar and salt etc. add the nut butter before adding the salt or sugar suggested in the recipe. Taste and adjust accordingly

You can use more peanut butter than is specified in the recipe. If you do, you will need less coconut milk. Whatever you decide add the milk a little at a time until the mix is sticky enough to hold together. It’s possible that you may need more milk than is stated

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line the bottom of a baking tray with parchment paper allowing the paper to overhang from the sides. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine until evenly mixed the oats, cocoa powder, mixed nuts/seeds, chocolate chips and flax meal. Set aside.

Add the peanut butter to the dry mix (as per recipe or more, see notes above) and combine until it’s evenly distributed. Add the milk, a little at a time kneading it into the mixture until it all sticks together and can form a ball. Taste for salt and sugar, add if desired. Leave the mixture to rest for about 5 minutes. After the 5 minutes and only if necessary you can add a little more milk so the mixture is decidedly sticky and holding together

Spread the mixture evenly into the prepared baking tray. Press down firmly and smooth with a pastry roller or a flat sided object to the desired thickness. Bake in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes or until it is just set.

Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the pan for about 5 mins. Hold onto the parchment paper and lift the entire sheet out of the pan and place on a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. Store in an airtight container (refrigeration storage works best for me)