Spelt tortillas all day long. Our friends at Heirloom LA kill it whenever we eat with them (see their teepee-centric dinner party here!), but we find these vegan tacos especially appealing.
Spelt and chickpeas make for the most nutrient-dense vegan tacos we’ve ever taken a bite of. Fill them up with your fave fiesta-worthy fillings, or take them up a notch by whipping up this OMG-inducing chickpea salad at home. Here’s our gal Tara Maxey, owner of all the Heirloom LA amazingness…
Spelt is my favorite flour to work with because it has grit to it and a sweet nutty flavor, as well as a high nutritional profile. Making these wholesome tortillas with friends or kiddos is easy and fun because the process is fast and the procedure is much less finicky than most doughs. Once cooked off, these spelt tortillas are pretty versatile. My favorite way to eat them is hot off the grill and drizzled with olive oil and some flavored sea salt. Serve with chopped avocado and some fresh salsa. Done.
Go the extra distance and make the simple chickpea salad too. It has its own virtues of deliciousness and can be added to green salads or served as a side dish. If you get out to the Wednesday Santa Monica Farmer’s Market, Jimenez Family Farm carries green garbanzo beans, fresh, in their pod, until early-mid September. It’s sold by the bush so you can keep it out as a decorative centerpiece and then shell the beans right around the table. It’s a conversation piece for sure!
Does all this sound too healthy for your kids or your friends even? Get them involved in the cooking process and watch how their tastebuds change. How can they not like what they helped make? These recipes are fun ways to engage those you care about in the kitchen and then to feel confident that you are nourishing them well.
SPELT TORTILLAS & CHICKPEA SALAD
Makes 12-15 8-inch tortillas
Tools:
10-12” skillet/pan
fork
rolling pin
mixing bowl
chef’s knife
Ingredients:
For the tortillas:
1 1/2 lbs spelt flour
1 Tbsp cumin seeds, toasted, ground (optional)
1 Tbsp fennel seed, toasted, ground (optional)
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup pumpkin-seed oil (or olive oil)
1 1/4 cup water, hot
2-3 oz olive oil for cooking
For the chickpea salad:
2 cups cooked or raw fresh garbanzo beans (green or golden)
1/2 cup pickled veggies, in their pickling juice (like onions, peppers or carrots)
1 cup fresh herbs, chopped (like parsley, basil, cilantro, or mint)
1 cup toasted or raw pumpkin seeds
Directions:
For the tortillas:
In the mixing bowl use a fork to combine flour, ground seasonings, baking powder, salt and pepper and stir to combine, drizzle pumpkin seed oil into the dough mixture to form pea-size pebbles. Continue stirring with the fork and add in hot water by about three quarters and begin to knead the dough ball by hand. You may need to add a little more water to keep dough sticky.
Transfer the dough to a clean surface and knead for a few minutes or until it is smooth with no lumps and when kneaded the dough does not appear to tear or break. Cut dough in half, and then cut each half in six equal sized pieces. Roll between hands to form even, smooth balls of dough. Place on a plate for at least 30 minutes covered with plastic wrap or a damp towel while your skillet warms.
When the skillet has warmed to its smoking point, lower temperature to medium and begin rolling out the tortillas. With your rolling pin, and a little extra spelt flour to keep the dough from sticking, roll the tortilla balls into flat rounds as thin as you can manage. They should be about 6-8 inches in diameter. Drizzle with salt and olive oil and place directly in the hot pan. Allow to bubble slightly and flip to the other side. Cook each side for about 20 seconds or until slightly charred on the bubbles and transfer to a clean plate. Between each round, cover the tortillas after they come from the skillet with a kitchen towel to retain moisture.
Serve as a substitute for tortillas in tacos and wraps, or even fry them up as chips. Once cooked off, store in a container tightly wrapped for up to a week, or they can be frozen and well-wrapped for later use.
For the chickpea salad:
Combine all ingredients at room temperature and let sit a minimum of 15 minutes to marinate.
