Mediterranean Wraps with Whipped Roasted Red Pepper Feta
Serves 2-3 (makes 5-6 wraps)
For Whipped Roasted Red Pepper Feta:
1 red bell pepper, cut in half, with seeds and stem removed
4-6 ounces feta cheese
For Meatballs:
1 pound ground chicken or turkey
¼ cup bread crumbs
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons fresh parsley, coarsely chopped (plus 1-2 tablespoons more for toppings)
2-3 teaspoon lemon zest (wash the lemon first before zesting)
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon avocado oil
6 medium tortilla wraps
For Toppings:
Hummus
1 medium cucumbers (or 2 small cucumbers), thinly sliced
1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut lengthwise (this will help with the wrap assembly)
Cutting tip: using a very sharp knife, hold the cherry tomato between your fingers so that it’s perpendicular to the ground (point on the ground, green stem part facing you). First, cut thin slivers on the outside of two opposite sides of the tomato and then slice the middle part in half
½ red onion, thinly sliced
Tzatziki
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh mint, coarsely chopped
For Whipped Roasted Red Pepper Feta:
Preheat the oven to 450° F. Line a baking sheet with foil to prevent sticking and help with the clean up.
Place the pepper halves skin side up on your baking sheet. Roast the peppers until the tops are blistered and charred, and the flesh is easily pierced with a fork, about 25 minutes.
Transfer the bell peppers to a cutting board. The peppers will be hot, but you should still be able to handle them. Using a small kitchen utensil, such as a fork or a small spoon, peel the blistered skin off the peppers. The skin should peel off relatively easily. Discard the skin.
Let the peppers cool to room temperature (about 10-15 minutes). You don’t want them too warm or they’ll melt the feta in the next step.
Add the roasted peppers and feta to a food processer. Blend until whipped. You’ll still notice small pieces of feta in the spread, but the overall consistency will be fluffier and lighter. This will take about 2-3 minutes of constant blending. Scrape down the sides as you go. Set aside.
This recipe can be doubled and made ahead. If making ahead, refrigerator the spread after you’ve made it.
For Meatballs:
In a medium bowl, combine the ground chicken or turkey, bread crumbs, garlic, parsley, lemon zest, oregano, salt, and pepper. Using your hands, mix until just combined. Form the mixture into small, elongated meatballs.
So, rather than perfectly round meatballs, roll them so they’re more cylindrical, elongated, and log shaped. This will help give them a nice sear and fill them into the wrap.
Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. As the pan is heating up, add the avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the meatballs in a single layer and cook them until you’ve got a good sear on two opposite sides, about 5-6 minutes per side. Cut one open to make sure they’re cooked all the way through.
Once done, remove them from the pan and let them cool for a few moments.
For Wraps:
Warm up the wraps beforehand. This makes them easier to work with.
Lay the wrap flat and spread a dollop of hummus to the middle of the wrap. Spread it in a thick line so it goes from the top edge down about ⅔ of the wrap (you want to leave a small open area at the bottom for later when you wrap it up).
Add the prepared Whipped Roasted Red Pepper Feta on top of the hummus.
Cut the meatballs in half and layer them on top of the spreads. Layer the cucumber slices, tomato slices, and onion slices on top of the meatballs.
Add a few small dollops of tzatziki over top and garnish with parsley and mint.
To wrap it, take the bottom section of the wrap (the part with no spread or toppings on it) and fold it up and over the bottom portion of the filling. Take the right side of the wrap over the filling in the middle and bottom fold. Take the left side and wrap it up and over all previous folds.
Enjoy!