You have probably heard of a lot of diet plans like low carb and keto. One of the "newer" labeled plans (which is not new at all) is Carnivore. And yes, it's exactly what you think it is: only meat and animal-based foods. I'm not going to go into it deeply here, but yes. There is plenty of evidence that a human is built to live on animal foods alone. I've recently spoken to someone who has been eating Carnivore for 4 years. His labs are great, and he looks like he works out 8 hours a day at the gym. Clearly it works for him. If you want to look more into it you can follow Dr. Shaun Baker, Dr. Andew Chaffee and Dr. Ken Berry to name a few.
Now, let's get back to the enchiladas! I know what foods work best for my body: lower carbs, no starches or grains or sugars. So the last 2 months or so we have gotten back to eating better. But I still love Tex Mex and comfort foods. I knew there were recipes for egg "tortillas", so I made up my own low carb recipe using my very favorite enchilada gravy from The Homesick Texan.
Here is the recipe to the best of my ability, lol. You may want to experiment with the tortillas.
For the egg tortillas:
2 eggs
2 tbsp water
dash of salt
Blend all the ingredients really well. Heat a small non-stick pan on about medium heat with a pat of butter or small amount of avocado oil. Pour just enough egg mixture to coat the bottom of the pan in a thin layer, rolling it around so it's as even as possible. Cook 2-3 minutes then flip and cook another 2-3 minutes. Remove and place on a wire rack and repeat over and over again. You'll need multiple batches of the egg mixture, but it will depend on the size of your pan and how thick you make the tortillas.
Once you have enough tortillas, you can move on to the delicious gravy. As I mentioned above, I use the recipe from The Homesick Texan - with my gluten free modifications. Also, I double the recipe because it's THAT good!
1/2 cup lard or avocado oil
1/2 cup gluten free (or regular) flour
4 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp black pepper
4 cups beef broth (you may end up needing more)
Heat the lard or oil in a pot or high-rimmed skillet over medium high heat. Whisk in the flour and stir until it's lightly browned, about 1 minute. Whisk in the spices until well combined. Pour in the broth while still whisking, and continue until it's thickened, about 3-5 minutes. Sometimes I want a little thinner sauce and end up adding in more broth. Taste and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Turn it off and set to the side, or you can let it continue to simmer while you prep everything else.
Heat your oven to 350 degrees. The baking dish you use will totally be dependent on how many enchiladas you are making. I used a 7x11 2-quart Pyrex baking dish. Pour about 1/2 - 1 cup of the enchilada gravy into the bottom of the baking dish to coat.
For the enchiladas, use the filling of your choice: seasoned ground beef, shredded chicken, cheese or even a veggie filling. I generally do seasoned beef, and my daughter loves cheese and spinach.
Take one of your egg tortillas and place a few tablespoons of your filling and a small amount of shredded cheese. Roll and place seam side down in the baking dish. Continue with the remaining tortillas. Pour over the chili gravy until covered (you probably won't use all of it unless you are making a ton of enchiladas), then top with more grated cheese. Bake uncovered for about 20 minutes or until the sauce is bubbly and cheese has melted.
Serve with toppings of your choice like sour cream, jalapenos, salsa or diced onions. Enjoy!
Note: I always have "extra" gravy and serve it on the side. Nobody is ever mad about having some extra gravy on the side! LOL
Being gluten free, I've tried a lot of different pizza crusts. I do try to avoid grains in general even if they don't contain gluten, because my body just does better. I've done the cauliflower crust, and it was indeed delicious - but I personally think cauliflower is one of THE MESSIEST ingredients to work with - right up next to shredding cabbage, lol!
Although I am not following the Carnivore diet, I do follow some groups for recipes because it does fit my way of eating. And this one definitely caught my eye!
For ease of recipe...this gets 2 thumbs up and a snap! I used the ingredients I had on hand and can't wait to pile on different toppings in the future. Go crazy, be creative and let it fit however you eat.
For the basic crust recipe you'll need:
1 can chicken (or use leftover roasted/baked)
1 egg
1/4-1/2 cups shredded cheese of your choice
Mix all of the ingredients together really well, breaking the chicken down as much as possible (I used a fork). Spread on a piece of parchment paper on a cookie sheet and bake at 400 for 10-15 minutes, watching it for desired crispiness.
Take it out of the oven and cover with whatever toppings you like. For this I used a little cheddar jack, mozzarella and pepperoni. Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes, again, watching it for desired crispiness and browning.
Notes: As mentioned, you can use whatever toppings, sauce and seasonings you like. Once you have the crust down you are set! I found that it's best right out of the oven, as it seems to "set" as it cools. Also, I will be experimenting with cooking it in my air fryer oven to maximize the crispy crust. But for my first attempt, I'm definitely happy!
Blessings to you and your family and let me know if you make this and how it turns out!
Sarah C, ND
