One-Ingredient Flaxseed Tortillas

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Honestly, I'm not even sure I can call this a recipe. All we're working with here is flaxseed and water (and a little salt).

But before I tell you about these tortillas, let's get one thing out of the way:

No! Cooking flaxseeds isn't a problem.

The fatty acids in flaxseeds are relatively stable and don't oxidize quickly during toasting.

You can toast flaxseeds and bake with them without worrying that ordinary cooking will make them go rancid or oxidize their fatty acids.

That's not the issue here.

So when can it be a problem? 

1. With prolonged cooking and/or high heat, such as extended frying. That's a concern for fatty acids in general, by the way.
2. When the flaxseeds smell stale or unpleasant: they may no longer be fresh and could have gone rancid.
3. When heating flaxseed oil, which is less stable and isn't recommended for cooking.

A big nutritional plus is flaxseed's high concentration of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an essential omega-3 fatty acid that supports normal cell function.

Now that we've cleared that up, let's get back to the tortillas.

This simple recipe is so satisfying because it turns out soft, fluffy tortillas that you can easily roll around your favorite fillings.

The flavor is very mild and distinctly flaxseed-like. I mean, it's flaxseed—what did you expect? To me, it's a perfect match for crunchy vegetables.

There are 2 types of flaxseed:

One has light, golden-amber seeds.

The other has dark brown seeds.

For this recipe, there's no difference: either golden or brown flaxseeds will work beautifully. (I used brown here.)

Want another recipe with flaxseed? How about crackers?

Want to freeze some for later? You can freeze the dough and let it thaw on the counter for about 1–2 hours, or freeze the tortillas after cooking. Your call.

Nutrition:

One flaxseed tortilla, from a batch of 6, weighing 50 g (1.8 oz), contains:

• 112 calories
• 4 g protein
• 6 g carbohydrates
• 8 g fat (including 1 g saturated fat)
• 5 g fiber

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Flaxseed Tortillas

Makes 6 tortillas

Calories 115 kcal

Ingredients

• 1 cup flaxseeds 115 g (4 oz)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 pinch salt

Instructions

1. In a blender, grind the flaxseeds thoroughly into a fine flour.

2. You can also grind the flaxseeds in a spice grinder.

3. Transfer the ground flaxseed flour to a saucepan and add a pinch of salt.

4. Pour 1 cup of boiling water into the saucepan.

5. Using a wooden spoon, stir the flaxseed and water until evenly combined.

6. Cook over low heat for 2–3 minutes, until the mixture comes together into a uniform ball of dough.

7. Remove from the heat and set aside for about 10 minutes, until the dough cools.

8. Divide the dough into 6 equal pieces.

9. Roll each piece into an even ball with your hands.

10. Using a rolling pin, roll each ball out between 2 sheets of parchment paper.

11. For a perfectly round tortilla, place an upside-down bowl on the rolled-out dough.

12. Trace around the rim of the bowl with a knife, cutting through the dough.

13. Peel away the excess dough with your hands.

14. Transfer to a nonstick skillet and cook over low heat for about 2 minutes per side.

15. Don't overcook the tortilla—you want it to stay flexible enough to roll.

16. Place the tortilla on a plate, add sprouts, cucumber, carrot, tofu, and tahini, then roll it up.

17. Cut each filled tortilla in half and serve.

Recipe Video