This week
nutritional therapist, Kirsten Chick, shares her delight and method for gluten free wraps…
I used to
think wraps were just dry, stodgy and joyless. That’s because when I first
tried one it was bought from a supermarket. Then a delicious, moist wrap with
marinated halloumi, salad and home-made coleslaw at the Brighton Fringe Festival showed
me the way, and now I’m a wrap convert.
The
gluten-free wrap
While I find yeast-free wheat products,
such as wraps, much easier on my digestion than normal bread, my tummy is
happiest when I am gluten-free. Less bloating, less heaviness, more energy.
You can buy
gluten-free wraps in most supermarkets and health food shops now. I have tried
a couple of them and can vouch that they are very satisfying and a good
consistency. However, it takes several minutes to read the list of ingredients!
Whereas you can make your own gluten-free wrap with just 2 ingredients quickly
and easily.
Gluten-free
wrap recipe
- Gram flour (chickpea flour)
- Water
- That’s it. In terms of quantities, it depends how much batter you want to make. I usually add about a cup of gram flour to a bowl, and then gradually stir or whisk in the water until it’s a batter consistency, so like thick pouring cream.
- You can, of course, spice it up with some extras. For example:
- cumin seeds
- turmeric and a little black pepper (the pepper helps with absorption of the magical curcuminoids in the turmeric)
- chopped fresh coriander
- caraway seeds
- chopped fresh chives
This batter
will keep for 3-4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, so you can make
fresh wraps at the drop of a hat.
Method:
- Melt a little coconut oil, butter ghee or butter into a frying pan on a moderate heat
- Pour a little batter in as if making a pancake – swirl around so it reaches the edge all around
- Patiently wait until it moves freely when you shake the pan
- Flip it over and cook the other side for a few minutes
- Filling your wrap
There are so
many delicious combinations you can fill your wrap with. Here are just a few
ideas, but you can get really creative with this.
Mackerel
salad (pictured)
1.Make a fish
paste with about 60-70g cooked (or tinned) mackerel, 1tbsp horseradish sauce,
2-3tbsp sheep’s yoghurt, chopped chives and seasoning. I also added mixed
seaweed flakes. This will be enough for 2 wraps.
2. Layer lettuce, mackerel paste, cucumber, radish and any other salad bits you have to hand. I like chicory leaves with this combination, and sometimes some avocados. Grated beetroot would also add something special. You just need to make a 3″ wide column of filling down the middle of the open wrap.
3. Fold sides over, tucking the bottom under as you go, and wrap a napkin or piece of kitchen towel round the bottom to help hold it in place and catch any drips as you eat.
Refried beans
1. Soak black
beans overnight, cook until soft (add bay leaves or kombu seaweed to help make
them more digestible), then drain.
Gently simmer
chopped onions and garlic in coconut oil until soft, add the beans, ground
coriander and cumin, turmeric and black pepper, and heat through. Add tamari
(wheat-free soy sauce) to taste and mash.
2. Make guacamole by blending avocado with lemon or lime, fresh coriander leaves, seasoning and a little yoghurt or coconut cream. Optional: also add a little red chilli and a chopped tomato.
3. Make your wrap as above with salad, beans and guacamole, and perhaps a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves.
2. Make guacamole by blending avocado with lemon or lime, fresh coriander leaves, seasoning and a little yoghurt or coconut cream. Optional: also add a little red chilli and a chopped tomato.
3. Make your wrap as above with salad, beans and guacamole, and perhaps a sprinkling of fresh coriander leaves.
Mushroom and
avocado
1. Gently fry
or bake sliced mushrooms with some tamari, coconut oil, black pepper and fresh
thyme or parsley.
2. Make wrap as above with salad and slices of avocado.
2. Make wrap as above with salad and slices of avocado.
Chicken and
warm slaw
Let me know
if you come up with some really amazing combinations I can try too 🙂
You can check out
more of Kirsten’s blogs here.
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