My all time favourite restaurant is Fresh in Toronto. All vegetarian and vegan fare that is so darn delicious that even your non-veg friends will rave about it. And the best dish on the menu for my money is their Magic Tofu wrap. A whole wheat wrap stuffed with shredded lettuce, grated carrot, onion, sprouts, crispy tofu and the most amazing sauce on the planet. Throw in a side order of quinoa onion rings and some organic wine and I’m in heaven!

Lucky for us owner Ruth Tal has written several cookbooks so that we can enjoy her glorious recipes at home. I’ve made several of them and they’ve all been a hit at my house. For some strange reason my kids love tofu and I think it was this introduction using crispy tofu that first got them hooked.

Did you know that in addition to being a good source of protein tofu is also full of iron? It’s true! In fact, the only meat that has more iron than tofu is beef liver. I’ll take the tofu thank you! Unfortunately soy beans are one of the most genetically modified crops so make sure to buy an organic brand that is guaranteed GMO. I like extra firm tofu for this recipe and it’s best if you rinse it and pat dry with a tea towel before you slice to make it easier to work with.

This wrap makes a great school lunch and on-the-go dinner. For school days I just wrap it up in tin foil to retain some of the warmth and send a side of their sauce of choice. At Fresh they make a wonderful vegan mayo but my kids prefer Ranch dressing, my husband likes hummus and Vegennaise and I like a good bbq sauce myself (try Amazing Dad’s BBQ Sauce). The possibilities are endless with this wrap so have fun and experiment to find your favourite combinations. Or you can be like my 2 year old and just dip the tofu slices in ketchup and enjoy!

Crispy Tofu Wrap (adapted from Refresh, Ruth Tal)

Crispy Tofu Coating
1 cup flaked nutritional yeast
½ cup wheat germ
1 tbsp garlic powder
½ tsp each of sea salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients on a plate and set aside.

Marinated Tofu
1 package organic extra firm tofu
½ cup tamari
2 cups water
4 tsp garlic powder
Cut tofu into ¼ inch thick slices. Lay them in the bottom of a bowl or dish and pour the tamari, water and garlic powder over top. Swish around to marinate and let stand in the fridge for 15 minutes to ½ an hour.

Wrap Fillings and Extras
12 whole wheat wraps (or wrap of choice)
1 pack of pea shoots or sprout of choice
2 cups grated carrot
1 cup finely diced onion
2 cups shredded lettuce
1 zucchini, shredded
2 tomatoes, diced
½ cucumber, diced
2 tbsp olive oil (plus more for each new batch of tofu as necessary)
Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Dredge the marinated tofu in the Crispy Tofu Coating and cook in pan until browned on both sides – approx. 4 min per side. Place the cooked tofu in the oven to stay warm while you fry all of the slices.

Warm tortillas in the oven. Place 3-4 tofu slices in the wrap and top with veggies and sauce of your choosing.

I often cook up a huge batch of crispy tofu and then keep it in the fridge and reheat it in the oven for on-the-go wraps or to throw on top of stir-frys throughout the week.