Easy Cheesy Vegan Tofu Quesadillas
Easy Cheesy Vegan Tofu Quesadillas is another recipe I threw together during the Christmas holiday because (insert drum roll here)… my new and fabulous quesadilla maker entered my life! Santa loves me and knows me well. Once upon a time, when I was living in OR (the first time), on an old farm, 30 acres of glory: chicken coup, barn, bunk house, an old boat that someone had began making on the property, where we spent many a day drinking next to our horseshoe pit, amongst the apple, pear, nut, plum, and cherry trees, next to the grape and blackberry vines, wild mint everywhere and so much more… my hippie lovin’ roomies and I happened to purchase a quesadilla maker and we went nuts-o! Quesadilla everything! Brie and egg bfast quesadillas, veggie meat Mexican quesadillas, Italian, Greek, Thai… you name it. There was nothing we wouldn’t put in a quesadilla. The beauty of a quesadilla maker is that it seals the contents perfectly and creates beautifully even triangles so you look like a ‘profresh’ quesadilla chef galore. 😉 I implore you to buy one of these grand machines. They’re crazy cheap as well. Amazon that beotch up! It was a last minute decision to photograph these so I only have a few of the finished product. I didn’t really style them either but I still wanted to share this exciting new gift with you all, and to remind you that quesadillas are a great way to empty your fridge to support my “waste not” philosophy. Lastly, to encourage you to purchase a quesadilla maker if you have yet to own one. Happy quesadilla making! MWAH!
- 1/4 brick firm tofu - mashed
- 1 Tbl diced onion
- 1 clove garlic - diced
- 1 tsp nutritional yeast
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp cumin
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1 tsp oregano
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 2 Tbl tomatoes - diced
- 2 8-inch tortillas (I used Spinach)
- 1/4 C vegan cheese (I used my own recipe - in recipe index of my blog)
- Oil for pan
- *If using a quesadilla maker, heat now
- Heat a pan on medium and add oil
- Add onion and stir occasionally for 3 minutes (I pinch salt in as well)
- Add garlic and stir for another minute
- Add tofu and all spices/herbs/yeast and stir occasionally for approximately 5 minutes
- Remove from heat
- Put one tortilla in quesadilla maker or pan and evenly spread the tofu mixture and cheese on top
- Place the other tortilla on top and cook until both sides are browned
- Let cool for a few minutes, then cut into triangles, and serve
- Done!
- Feel free to add whatever else you'd like in the quesadilla and top with hot sauce!
Easy Spinach & Mushroom Cheesy Quesadillas
This Easy Spinach & Mushroom Cheesy Quesadillas is a must try. Especially if you’re a vegetarian! Being that I live in Beijing, sometimes finding quality western eats can be challenging. My husband and I have been going to Peter’s Tex Mex for years. They make the best frozen mango margaritas I have ever had the pleasure of tasting, hands down. The dish that I think is most fabulous is their spinach and mushroom quesadilla. One day, after making my own margs I decided to get down and make its better half as well. Could not have been easier or tastier. One day, when I’m gone from Beijing, I know that when I make these I’ll have fond memories of the coziness that was Pete’s for us. Shout out to Lily!
Anyway, it’s not like I’m on a perpetual diet (been there and done those days), however, it is like I’m always and forever trying to lose weight and get more fit. Now, will these quesadillas get me there? In my mind, totally. They actually make me lose weight! Amazing. In reality, they are not at all as bad for you as restaurant or classic recipes, and if you squashed the cheese, they’d be incredibly healthy for you. So, this is a great & healthier version, can be made even healthier, and it’s simply easy and delish. Mango margarita a must!
- 8 whole wheat tortillas (quality tortillas if you can & 8")
- 8 ounces of shitake or cremini mushrooms- sliced thin (or any mushroom!)
- 8-10 C spinach
- 1 medium & ripe tomato -diced
- 1 large onion (red or white) - diced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 9 ounces extra sharp white cheddar - shredded (or any reasonable cheese you've got in your fridge)
- Oil for pan
- Salt & pepper to taste
- 1 C plain greek yogurt
- 2 Tbl taco seasoning
- Lg handful of cilantro
- Mix the greek yogurt with the taco seasoning and refrigerate
- Heat the pan with oil
- Add onions and salt. Cook for about 4-5 minutes
- Add garlic and cook no more than 1 minute more (stirring)
- Add mushrooms and more salt, cook for about 3-5 minutes
- Add spinach and cook for about 2 minutes (add pepper)
- Remove from heat & put in bowl
- Divide and add the shredded cheese to 4 tortillas
- Put tortilla with cheese in pan and add 1/4 of the filling (do this for every quesadilla)
- Top with another tortilla. Cook on each side until cheese is melted and tortillas are slightly browned
- Let cool. Cut each quesadilla into 4 triangles
- Top with yogurt mix, tomato, and cilantro
- Wanna make this vegan? Scratch the cheese & add more veggies!
- Serve with a delicious frozen mango margarita (or beer of course)
