Tofu Quesadilla
Did you know the earliest quesadilla was actually a Mexican version of cheese toastie (only tortilla and cheese)? Nowadays, quesadilla is one of the signature dishes in Mexican cuisine for good reasons - easy, fast, versatile and delicious. That is exactly the reason we created this quesadilla recipe and made it plant-based (with the option to alter into omnivore dish).
Tofu Quesadilla
Serves: 2-4 (depending on serving size)
Time: 20 minutes
Skill required: chopping, measuring, frying, assembling, grilling
Equipment: chopping board, knife, frying pan, few spoons, serving plate, sandwich press/oven/pan.
Ingredient list
1/2 onion
1 clove of garlic
300g tofu
1tbsp oregano*
2tbsp paprika*
1tbsp cumin*
2tsp onion powder (optional)*
2tsp cayenne (optional)*
2 medium capsicums
1 cup corn kernel
1 tbsp tomato paste
2-4 tortilla/wrap
50g cheese
plain greek yoghurt for dipping
Methods
Heat up a pan on medium heat, add 1tbsp oil, add diced onion and minced garlic until onion wilted (~1-2min).
Add the crumbled tofu/black beans and all the spices into the pan, and fry until well-corporated.
Add in capsicum, corn and tomato pas, fry until the mixture become dry and cooked through, then season with salt and pepper and set aside (can be stored in the fridge).
To assemble: On 1 tortilla, fill an even layer of the fried mixture on half side of the tortilla, sprinkle some cheese and fold the other half over, making a semi-circle.
Heat up a pan on low-medium heat, and grill the quesadilla for ~1min with lid on or until the bottom turns golden; then flip and repeat the same (Alternatively, use a sandwich press or grill for 5 min in an oven at 220°C).
Serve with plain greek yoghurt.
Dietitian’s Tips
Other protein choices: black bean, quorn mince, chicken mince and lean beef mince.
Spices*: Use packaged spice mix (e.g. taco spice mix) for convenient option.
Topping choice: greek yoghurt is to substitute sour cream and still include some dairy intake; other options include: smashed avo, salsa, jalapeño or vegetables (e.g. tomato).
Transformation: The same fried base can be used in burrito, burrito bowls or nacho topping with few extra ingredients.