I have always loved flautas, and I’ve experimented with different kinds many times. I’ve been running around all week and the last thing I wanted to do was stop at another store to pick up more ingredients. I remembered that I had tortillas and vegetables at home and thought that filling the tortillas with a vegetable medley could turn out really good – and I was right! These ended up being totally delicious and completely vegetarian. The best thing about them is that they are so easy to customize – they could easily be made vegan AND low-carb! For tonight’s recipe, I used both low-carb tortillas and corn tortillas to display some of the different ways they could be made. Whether you’re living a keto or low-carb lifestyle or if you just want a quick and delicious dinner, these are perfect.
For the flautas, you will need:
- Corn or low-carb flour tortillas (or Cut Da Carb or Lavash bread)
- Portabella mushrooms
- Spinach
- Onions
- Garlic
- Cheese (any kind – I recommend chihuahua, queso fresco, or cheddar jack)
- Oil for frying
- Salt, pepper, paprika, cayenne, garlic powder, and onion powder
- Lettuce, tomato, avocado, or peppers for garnish
First, finely chop the onion, garlic, and mushrooms. I do coarsely chop the spinach, but since it shrinks while cooking, there’s no reason to go nuts.
Add a little coconut oil (or oil of your choice) to the pan, season generously, and saute until tender. The Goya Sazon seasoning is also a great choice for this dish, but I just ran out! You can virtually season it however you’d like.
After the vegetables are cooked down, it’s time to fill the tortillas. I find that corn tortillas roll together more easily when pliable, so I usually microwave them for about 20 seconds or so before I fill. Add a sprinkle of cheese and then spoon a bit of the filling onto one side of the tortilla.
Next, tightly roll the tortillas into a flute-shape. You can use a toothpick to keep them rolled while frying.
To fry, you can use any kind of oil you’d like. For the most part, I always try to use healthy substitutions when I can, but I also like to indulge and really enjoy the taste once in a while. Personally, I think corn oil is the best for frying corn tortillas in – a pinch of salt really brings out the taste. However, for this recipe, I used coconut oil. You can also use avocado oil, grapeseed oil, or light olive oil. I bring a regular frying pan to a medium heat and lightly fry the tortillas for about two minutes on each side, until golden-brown and crispy.
When they are done, use tongs or a spatula to add them to a plate. You can blot them with a paper towel to get rid of any excess oil. My favorite way to serve flautas is with homemade guacamole and sour cream. For my guacamole, I just dice tomatoes, onions, and jalapeno peppers and add them to mashed avocado with salt and lots of lime juice. Sadly, I am not a fan of cilantro! You can serve them with a side of black beans or cauliflower rice! I just ran out of avocados yesterday, so I just topped these with diced tomato and chopped lettuce.
For a spontaneous, use-what-you-have meal, these turned out great! My husband ate four of them and was sad there were no leftovers! To make these vegan, just omit the cheese or use Daiya cheese. Since I have my intense leg workout in the morning, I didn’t mind having a few extra carbs and went for the corn tortillas. However, the low-carb tortillas worked well, too. The beauty of cooking is how easy it can be to substitute and customize until you find something that works well for you and supports your lifestyle.
I hope you all enjoy these as much as we did!
Breeanna Living Brilliantly 