How to Make Tortilla Salad Bowls

The edible bowl is a welcome addition to your culinary lineup--when premade, they save time and cost very little. If cooked with olive or vegetable oil, they are better than deep-fried or trans fat-loaded commercial offerings. Plus, in a world where washing dishes takes up not only valuable time, but also water resources, this salad bowl disappears along with dinner. Bowls made from tortillas or wraps are easy to make and do not have to be limited to Mexican dishes-- they can serve as useful vessels for a variety of salads.

Things You'll Need

• Corn or flour tortillas, or wraps Olive oil or nonstick spray Ovenproof or steel mixing bowls Sheet pan Wooden toothpicks Wire baking rack

Instructions

How to bake edible bowls

1. Choose fresh tortillas or wraps that are flexible--some corn tortillas may tear as they are bent. The tortilla or wrap will toast as it bakes, so avoid products that look well-toasted already since they could appear overcooked when baked.

2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Brush both sides of the tortilla lightly with olive oil, or spray with a nonstick vegetable spray. Olive oil will give the tortilla nice fruity, toasty flavor, while most nonstick sprays have a more neutral taste.

3. Place an ovenproof bowl or small steel mixing bowl upside down on a sheet pan, and drape the lightly oiled tortilla over the bowl. If the tortilla does not drape, a second bowl can be placed on top of the tortilla to keep it in place, or the tortilla can be draped over the bowl and the folds can be held in place with small wooden toothpicks.

4. Bake for five to 10 minutes--keep your eye on the tortillas as they bake, since size, density and the conductivity of the bowl can affect cooking times.

5. Remove the pan from the oven when the tortilla looks lightly toasted on the edges. Use oven mitts or tongs and carefully lift the tortilla off the bowl and allow it to cool on a wire rack.

Tips & Warnings

• If the bottom of the edible salad bowl is not as crispy as the sides, simply place it in a 225-degree oven for five or 10 minutes until the whole bowl is dry and crisp. The bowls can be stored for a couple of days when they are layered with paper towels in a tin or brown paper bag to keep them crisp.

• Fill the salad bowls just before serving, as they quickly can become soggy from vegetable juices or dressing.

References

• Eating Well magazine's salad recipe files
• Medicinenet.com's online salad recipes