Chili Spiced Cauliflower + Jalapeno Cheater "Crunch Wraps"
May is the month of Mexican meals at my house. True Mex, Tex-Mex, Lesley-Mex (which I’d say is a thing here at home) - we do it all. This year is no different - particularly because meal -planning week 1 of May made it necessary to buy 2 different types of tortillas, so Jordan’s already been warned that we’re eating taco-style meals until all of these tortillas are gone.
We’ve been on a cauliflower taco kick (those cauliflower tinga tacos have been made several times recently), and I just wanted an on-theme change up. Something new + fun that was Cinco de Mayo meal worthy, and still allowed for the re-purposing of my favorite ingredient - cauliflower. I landed on these Chili Spiced Cauliflower + Jalapeno Cheater “Crunch Wraps” that are like part quesadilla and part veggie taco. They were veggie loaded with layers of warm + tender cauliflower and crisp + refreshing cabbage. And of course layered with melty cheese. Truth be told - these wraps were our cinco pre-game, and man were they perfect. Crispy tortilla wrap with a “crunch wrap” vibe, lots of veggies stacked in each layer, and a cilantro ranch to dip it in. And a very, very fun hands-on meal to make with Jordan.
There is really just something special about diving into a kitchen project at the end of the work day. On days where I get to work from home (or just not have to be at our bar at closing), diving into making dinner just makes it feel like the true end to my work day. Like the computer is getting turned off, we don’t really need to even chat about work anymore, and we can just enjoy a night at home. When Jordan + I can dive into a project together, in this case assembling our very own crunch-wraps, we get to transition into normal husband + wife at home for dinner mode, and it’s just a very peaceful end to the day.
Sheet Pan Cauliflower + Jalapenos
My new cauliflower roasting dinner trick, particularly when it’s a taco or south of the border kinda vibe, is roasting jalapenos right alongside the cauliflower. All together on one pan + tossed with the same seasonings - it just leads to super flavorful veggies. Roasting the jalapenos seems to just bring the whole jalapeno flavor to the veggie filling but totally mellows out the heat, which I really like.
The most important thing to do when doing a cauliflower veggie filling is to go hard with the seasoning. This recipe goes heavy with the chili powder, paprika, cumin, + onion powder, and using such rich, colorful spices only helps develop such a nice color on the cauliflower.
Layers of flavor
This wrap is so fun because it’s totally layered. A few different veggie + cheese components, but all are nestled and folded in the tortiilla that you get compartmentalized layers in the wrap. A cauliflower-jalapeno layer + cheese layer + a cabbage layer (with a little sprinkle of cheese over the cauliflower so as it melts is acts like “glue” to hold everything in place.
It’s a layer + fold approach. You make a small slit in the tortilla, and then sort of separate the tortilla into quadrants. One quadrants stays empty, and the rest get a layer of the 3 different components. You lay out all your different fillings ini their designted quadrant, and then fold so you’ve got the cutest little triangle at the end. And it’s so easy to get each wrap folded perfectly! My take-aways - don’t skimp with the fillings (go for a fairly thick layer - and definitely more cheese than what’s pictured) + don’t hesitate to really press down and give the wrap a nice squish when it’s been all folded up. The final squish just packs it all in there + gets it a little more skillet ready.
You’re left with just toasting them up. We got all our wraps assembled first + laid them out on a cookie sheet, and then used a cast iron skillet over medium heat to get them toasty. The cast iron just gives them such a nice, toasted color, and the crispy tortiilla you get is chef’s kiss worthy. You’ll for real here the crunch when you bite into it.
If there’s not a sauce, I don’t want to be bothered
The thick cilantro ranch is the final touch that’s just real tasty with a warm + toasty wrap. It’s a sour cream based ranch loaded with a hefty amount of fresh cilantro + garlic (my fun trick is to mince both up together to get that super fine chop), and thinned out slightly with lime juice. Definitely a “ranch variation” but it fits the vibe.
Tip: make it a day ahead to sit in the fridge overnight. The longer it sits, the more flavorful it is, and that’s the route I’m going to take next time I whip it up.
We made like 10 total wraps (almost using our full pack of tortillas(, and they were perfect for meals later in the week. I legitimately looked forward to these little guys post bartending on a couple occasions. A little leftover crunch wrap in the convection oven for a few minutes, and they were just as crispy as night one. A very fun dinner to make + eat together, and an ideal kick-off to Cinco de Mayo.
For the wraps
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
1 jalapeño, cut into disks
2-3 tbsp EVOO (enough to coat the veggies) + more for toasting the wraps
2 tsp chili power
1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp onion powder
Salt + Pepper
Burrito sized flour tortillas
2 c. shredded cheddar
2-3 c. shredded cabbage
For the cilantro ranch
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. fresh cilantro
2 garlic cloves
1 jalapeño, cut into disks
juice from 1 lime
pinch of salt
Preheat the oven to 400 and line a baking sheet with foil. Start by placing the cauliflower florets + jalapeño slices in a large bowl. Add in all of the seasoning plus a pinch of salt + pepper, drizzle with EVOO, and toss so the veggies are coated in seasonings. Lay in a single layer and place in the oven. Roast for 30 minutes. After those first 30 minutes, take out the tray, give everything a stir, and bake for another 15 minutes - turning on the convection feature or cranking the heat to 450. You want them crispy.
Meanwhile, make the ranch. Place the cilantro, garlic, and jalapeño on a cutting board. Mince all together - go for a fine mince. Put the sour cream, minced ingredients, lime juice, + a pinch of salt in a bowl. Stir everything together, and place in the fridge until ready to eat.
Time to get to assembling your wraps. Before you do, place a cast iron skillet over low heat. Make sure you’ve got the cooked cauli, cheese, + cabbage at the ready. Place a tortilla on the cutting board, making one slit from the center to the very edge - like a half slit in the center of the tortilla. You’re going to work in quadrants - (1) leave one quadrant empty, (2) one with a layer with cauliflower, (3) one with cabbage, + (4) one with cheese. Sprinkle a little cheese over the cauliflower, too. You’ll put each topping in it’s own designated quadrant, and you can be slightly heavy handed with ingredients. You’ll want to fold your empty quadrant over the cauliflower, press down firmly, then fold over towards the cabbage, and then towards the cheese, pressing firmly once it’s all folded too. Add a drizzle of EVOO to your skillet and increase the heat to medium. Toast the wraps for 3 minutes on each side, adding a bit more oil if needed to coat the pan. Place the toasted wraps on a baking sheet and place in a 250 degree oven if you need to keep them warm while you cook.
To serve, top each wrap with a dollop of the cilantro ranch and a sprinkle of cilantro if there’s any left over. A little of your fave Mexican hot sauce goes great with it too!