smoky bbq tofu avocado and cheese “wrapadillas” with herb crema
I’m not a person who flies into new trends very often, but I have to say, the Internet did okay with this method of quesadilla.
I’m a pure hater of the media platform that rhymes with ShmickShmok. I only use it when Instagram reels crashed and refuses to let me develop a highlight. I’m really not a fan of the merging into video-heavy content across the board: I love viewing photographs and find them calming and immersive. Nowadays I see far too many people pointing at air and then demanding you read the caption because the video part is for view-grabs only.
I don’t know, man, but with the advent of this ingenuine form of sharing (in my crabass view), people’s online habits seem far more contrived than one could argue they were prior. I know the Web and all its spindly arms tell many lies, and always have, but what happened to lending out practical bits of advice and fun snippets without having to dress them up in false hilarity?
I do reels sometimes, usually for recipes and What I Ate purposes, but if you ever catch me shaking my hips and pointing at nothing, please hack and close my account for me.
The positive of this virtual horseshit? The folded quesadilla wrap thing. I’m dubbing it a Wrapadilla. I for a time was skeptical of its existence, but I think I’m a safe convert now. They’re fun, and you can fit a ton of your favorite ingredients in a single big tortilla rather than layering a pair over one another and risking an ungraceful pan flip. I’d like to do a breakfast one sometime!
To-foolery
I chose tofu for my main man in this recipe because I haven’t worked with it in quite awhile. I’d like to help reduce the demonization of the big white block because you really can make it taste amazing. One way to do so? Slather it in a simple homemade barbecue sauce fixture.
But first, press the moisture out. I like to get this going and while the block rests, chop and prep the rest of my ingredients. Put them in cute bowls or plates to get hyped about cooking.
I use a homemade contraption to extract the liquid: a big plate, paper towels, more paper towels, another plate, and my cast iron skillet. Set the tofu in the middle of the two paper towel layers, a plate below and a plate above, and plop the skillet overtop. If the towels get too soggy in a 30 minute span, change them out.
When you’re ready to start, heat up some oil in a skillet. Crumble the tofu and crisp it up for a bit – keep in mind it won’t brown like meat, but you can get a good sear out of it regardless. Move the crumbles to a plate. Saute some onions, then add in garlic, smoked paprika, and chili powder. Stir in tomato paste, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and molasses. This base is similar to the one in my Carolina Pinto Bean Nachos. It’s centers the scales of sweet, smoky, and spicy.
Toss the tofu back into the skillet and stir into the sauce until nicely coated.
Fold it, Wrap It, Stick It In A Pan
I do hope the Samwise ditty got in your head after reading that one liner.
The photos of this process might help you more than my words, so feel free to look at the pretty pictures and ignore my babbling if you need to.
To create the wrapadilla shape, lay a tortilla on the counter and make a slit from the middle bottom to the center of the tortilla. This is the only cut you need to make.
To the bottom left, add tofu.
Top left, lettuce and tomato.
Top right, smashed avocado. I like to sprinkle a bit of salt and pepper on my portion, but that’s up to you.
Bottom right, cheese.
Then, carefully fold the tofu up and over the lettuce layer. Fold that over the avocado. Finally, fold down over the cheese. If you have some escapees, shove them back in. The process is a bit messy!
I cleaned out the same skillet I used for the tofu to cook the quesadillas, but feel free to grab a new one if you wish. Just ensure it’s large enough to fit 1-2 wraps. Heat a good amount of oil in your choice pan and place the wrap(s) inside. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. After I flip, I like to press down on each wrap to flatten and encourage the ingredients to adhere.
Crema of the Crop
Finally, whip up a quick and luscious herb crema. Greek yogurt, jalapenos, cilantro, parsley, lime juice, and a touch of salt. Whirl it up in your food processor until smooth.
I recommend you serve these up right away, as cooling will reduce the crunch. Spoon lots of crema over the wraps and serve the extra alongside some limes and fresh cilantro.
If you do have leftovers and want to reheat them, do so in an oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. Microwaving will cause the wrap to become flacid. They taste great, but aren’t quite as pleasing.
The crema works well as a salad dressing too. If you’d like, thin it out with a bit of water so you can drizzle it overtop a bed of greens and your favorite protein.
Tried this recipe out? Leave a comment below with your thoughts, and don’t forget to come say hi on Instagram and show me what you made!
Some Tex Mex inspired dishes to try!
Hot Honey Lime Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Yogurt Sauce
Jackfruit Tinga Tostadawich with Tequila Lime Mango
Baked Southwest Avocado Egg Rolls with Spicy Cilantro Ranch
smoky bbq tofu avocado and cheese “wrapadillas” with herb crema
Ingredients
- 1 block firm or extra firm tofu
- 1 small yellow onion, diced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/3 cup tomato paste
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 2 tbsp molasses
- 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
- 2 roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced
- 1 large avocado, quartered and smashed
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded Monterey jack cheese
- 4 large flour tortillas (burrito sized)
herb crema
- 1/2 cup plain whole milk Greek yogurt
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and deveined
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup fresh parsley
- 2 tbsp lime juice
Instructions
- Drain the block of tofu and set on a plate lined with paper towels. Place another 2-3 paper towels on top, another plate, then a heavy-bottomed skillet. Press for at least 30 minutes. Change out the paper towels if they get too soggy.
- When the tofu is finished, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a skillet over medium heat. Crumble the tofu into the pan and cook until browned slightly on all sides, about 5 minutes. Move to a plate.
- Add another drizzle of oil into the pan. Saute the onion until fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in the garlic, smoked paprika, and chili powder for one minute, then swirl in the tomato paste, brown sugar, molasses, Worcestershire sauce, cider vinegar, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Drop in the tofu and cook until thickened slightly and the sauce coats the crumbles, about 5 minutes longer.
- Lay a tortilla on a flat surface. Make a slice from the bottom middle to the middle of the tortilla (see photos above for reference). On the left bottom corner, add 1/4 of the bbq tofu. Above that, 1/4 cup of lettuce and 2 tablespoons of tomatoes. Top right, 1/4 of the smashed avocado. Finally, on the bottom right, finish with 1/4-1/3 cup of the cheeses.
- Carefully fold the tofu layer over the lettuce layer, then the lettuce layer over the avocado, and the avocado over the cheese. See photos above. Repeat with remaining wraps and ingredients. Some will fall out of the crevices. Don't worry! Just slide the strays back in as best you can.
- On a griddle, a new skillet, or the same skillet you used prior but cleaned, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add 1-2 wraps at a time and cook for 3 minutes until golden brown. Flip carefully and press down firmly with a spatula. Fry an additional 2-3 minutes until your desired crispiness is reached.
- For the herb crema, combine all ingredients in a food processor, as well as a pinch of kosher salt, until smooth. Add 1-2 tablespoons of water to thin if desired.
- Serve the wraps with the herb crema, lime juice, and fresh cilantro.
