I love being a vegetarian!
While at home in Vermont, I made my family some quesadillas. Here's what you do for something healthy, tasty, and cruelty-free!
You will need (preferably): one package of whole wheat tortillas, red peppers, mushrooms (preferably, all vegetables are organic; tortillas too!). You may enjoy some scallions with it. Some extra firm tofu and a few spices and oils. I use: dark toasted sesame oil, oregano, parsley, adobo, soy sauce.
Slice the mushrooms and red peppers. Use the entire pepper except the stem. Use the membranes and seeds and all. They pack a good flavorful punch! Make the peppers small enough to stuff lightly in a quesadilla. I'd say about a quarter inch long, and half that wide.
Fry the peppers and mushrooms in a skillet with about one tablespoon of sesame oil (depending on how much you're cooking). Do not add spices!
You want to cook the peppers and mushrooms first because you'll cook the tofu in the same pan so that the tofu will pick up the great smoky flavors.
Once the mushrooms look juicy and slightly brown, a great chewy (not mushy), put them in a separate bowl. Now drain the tofu and plop it in the pan (you shouldn't need more oil; tofu is watery enough on its own and won't burn).
Mash the tofu with a fork until it looks like (sorry, Vegans) scrambled eggs. You pick the size of the chunks. Sprinkle on some parsley and adobo and oregano and anything else you think might taste good. Add about a teaspoon of soy sauce (you don't need much; too much and it's salt city).
I keep sauteeing the tofu until it gets a dry consistency.
Put the tofu in another bowl or mix it up with the peppers and mushrooms. Wipe out the skillet. I normally don't have to re-oil my pan for the quesadillas, but if yours is especially dry and sticky, spray on some light cooking oil like canola or corn oil. Lightly! Don't need no soggy munchies.
Place the tortilla flat on the pan, the heat should be about medium low. Sprinkle it with cheese (if you want cheese) or spread some tahini over it (lightly). On one half of the tortilla, add the pepper/mushroom/tofu. Wait for the cheese to melt a bit so the two sides will stick together and then fold over the half of the quesadilla with no vegetables. Cook until you have both sides toasted. With tahini quesadillas, just fold over and be careful when flipping or else everything will fall out. You can also use a non-dairy cheese (I suggest jalapeno).
These things are great and my family loved them for lunch! I was stuffed.
I added scallions at the end or sprinkled them over the top and ate it with a fork. I also added some country greek brine-cured olives to my dillas. Yumm!!!!
take me to the stars
the following is my food log: a diary of delectables!