Vegan and Gluten Free
Serendipity Jane
Original Recipe: Jane Fox
Inspiration: Vegonosity.com Portobello Mushroom Bacon- Vegan Bacon
As a kid, BLT’s were good, but on those occasions when we had ripe avocados in the house, adding avocado raised the bar of deliciousness. This vegan and gluten free “Bacon” and Avocado Wrap combines the smokey, sweet, salty flavor of bacon, the rich creamy deliciousness of avocado, the freshness of tomatoes and sprouts, and wraps it all up in a gluten free spinach tortilla.
During my Gluten Challenge, when it became apparent, that even if I wasn’t diagnosed with Celiac disease, that gluten was a problem for me, I began scoping out the gluten free products at the grocery store. I was excited to see that there were several varieties of “flour” tortillas and wraps. That excitement only lasted until I actually tried them.
The tortillas split open when I folded them, and then they quickly became gummy from any moisture in the filling.
I thought, maybe I just needed to try another type. I tried a couple of other brands with the same results, and sadly decided that this was one more thing that I just wouldn’t be able to have.
One day I saw a Facebook discussion on these same gluten free and vegan tortilla wraps. Many people had experiences similar to mine, but I was surprised to see several comments that raved about how good they were!
How could this be?
Then I came across a recommendation to follow the package directions.
Package directions? On tortillas?
Of course, I had checked the nutritional information, and the list of ingredients, but it had never occurred to me that a package of tortillas even had directions. So I bought another package and tried again, this time following the package directions. It made all the difference in the world!
The secret is, you have to heat the tortillas first! How simple is that?
The first step is to prepare the “bacon”. My childhood memories are full of memories of waking up to the smell of bacon wafting through the house on a weekend morning.
When I began eating vegan, four years ago, I knew that bacon was going to be one of the most difficult things to give up. The day I discovered the recipe for Portobello Mushroom Bacon at Veganosity.com, I knew I’d be able to make my new vegan diet work!
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Linda Myer!
I’ve tweaked the Veganosity recipe just a bit because it’s simpler for me to remember and my version is a tad bit smokier.
I use equal parts of liquid smoke and maple syrup, a quarter cup of each for this recipe, and place the liquid in a gallon size zip lock bag.
I add a half teaspoon of salt, and a half teaspoon of black pepper.
Make sure you are using real maple syrup, not the type that is mostly corn syrup with a little maple favor. Not only is the real maple flavor better, but the fake stuff is made with high fructose corn syrup!
I slice four Portobella mushrooms in ¼” slices. If you want, you can cut off the stem, but I keep mine on. I pop the bag in the fridge for about 20 minutes, then flip the bag over and marinate the other side. I usually do this step while I’m doing other tasks, so I know firsthand that if you forget and leave it in longer, it will still work out. I’ve even left it overnight and it still worked out fine.
Once the mushrooms are marinated, it’s time to fry them up. I use grapeseed oil because it has a high smoke point, which means that the oil will not break down with high heat.
Fry them in a pan as if you were cooking regular bacon, a couple of minutes on each side. Bonus feature: No popping bacon grease!
You will have extra marinade and you can save it in the refrigerator for a couple of days. You can use it again!
The mushrooms will be golden with a caramelized brown around the edges, but they do not get crisp. Your house will smell wonderful! The first time I made a “Portobello “BLT” for my son, he proclaimed it better than if it were made with real bacon! It’s tasty and it certainly comes without the guilt!
Next, slice and lightly salt the tomatoes, making sure that the pieces aren’t too large. Gluten free wraps are smaller than the regular wraps, and if you over stuff them, wrapping will be difficult. I like to use heirloom tomatoes whenever I can find them. The taste is worth the extra price.
Prepare the Avocado by cutting it in half and then, cut the half into crescent shaped slices. Lightly salt and pepper the slices before assembling the wrap.
To prepare the tortilla wraps, the first step is to take out a pan that is large enough so that you can lay the tortilla flat without folding it, and put it on the stove over medium heat. There is no need to use oil.
Let the tortilla warm for a few minutes then flip the tortilla to the other side. It will have bubbled up and have scattered brown scorch marks. Remove it from the heat. Now is the time to fill it.
Magically, the tortilla will be pliable with no trace of gumminess. The tricky part now is wrapping it all up.
Slather a layer of vegan mayonnaise down the center of the tortilla. I use Vegenaise for my vegan mayo, which can be found in the refrigerated section of the grocery store, usually with the vegan “meats” and cheeses. I think it’s actually tastier than regular mayo!
Begin to layer a few slices of the “bacon” strips, a few tomatoes pieces, a few avocado slices, then a layer of sprouts, down the center of the tortilla, leaving space at the top and bottom of the wrap.
Fold over the top and bottom, and start rolling, making sure your tops and bottoms stay in place. It’s just like rolling up a burrito. Place the wrap on a plate, seam side down. Cut the wrap into two pieces.
It is best served right away. If you leave the wraps in the fridge overnight they will soften. Eat them the same day that you make them! Enjoy! I hope you love this as much as I do!
Printable Recipe
Smoky Mushroom and Avocado Wrap
Ingredients
"Bacon"
- 1/4 cup real maple syrup
- 1/4 cup liquid smoke
I like Lazy Kettle Brand Hickory Liquid from Whole Foods - 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 1/2 tsp salt (or to taste)
- 4 large Portobello Mushrooms
- Grapeseed or other oil with a high smoke point for frying such as peanut oil or coconut oil.
Veggies
- 2 medium tomatoes heirloom if you can find them
- 2 medium avocados
- alfalfa sprouts
- salt and pepper to taste
Wrap
- 1 package tortilla wraps I used Mission Gluten Free Spinach Herb Tortilla Wraps
- Vegan Mayo I like Original Vegenaise
Instructions
"Bacon"
- In a gallon size zip lock bag combine ¼ cup of maple syrup, ¼ cup of liquid smoke, ½ teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper.
- Wash the four Portobello Mushrooms and slice in to ¼ inch slices. Add the sliced mushrooms to the marinade in the zip lock bag. Place in the Refrigerator for at least 20 minutes, then flip to marinate the other side.
- Heat a couple of Tablespoons of grapeseed oil or your oil of choice to a large frying pan and fry the marinated mushrooms until they are a golden brown color with caramelized edges. They will not be crispy. Place on a paper towel and blot off the excess oil.
Veggies
- Slice the tomatoes and cut each slice in half so it is crescent shaped and will easily fit in the wrap. Lightly salt the tomatoes before adding them to the wrap.
- Cut the Avocados in half, peal then in cut in to 1/8 slices. Lightly season with salt and pepper.
- Have the alfalfa sprout handy to assemble the wraps.
Wraps
- Heat a frying pan, large enough to fit the wrap when it is completely flat. There is no need to use oil.
- Heat the wraps, one at a time for about 3 minutes on each side. The second side will bubble up and you will have brown spots where the tortilla has browned.
- Remove the tortilla from the heat.
- Put a slather of mayonnaise down the center of the wrap. Add the mushrooms, tomatoes, avocado and sprouts being careful to leave about an inch at the top and inch at the bottom. This should be about 2” to 3” wide down the center of the wrap.
- Fold the top and the bottom of the tortilla down over the filling. Making sure that the top and bottom remains folded, start rolling the tortilla from the side, like a burrito.
- Place on a plate, folded side down, and cut the rolled wrap in to two pieces to serve!
This looks HEAVENLY!!!
Winnie, you will love the guilt free “bacon!”