Sunday, September 12, 2010

Veggie Quesadillas!

The only rule here is there are no rules.

For my Vegetarian Quesadillas, I used zucchini, shallots, tomatoes, an orange pepper, and mushrooms.  Chopped them up and tossed them into a pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil.  We go vegetarian at least four meals a week.


Then I remove the veggies and place them in a bowl.  Of course, I use the same pan, and just give it enough oil for a light coating.


It's now time to assemble the quesadilla.  I drop one of my favorite things in the world, into the pan:


Because I'm on a low-carb diet, these are a staple in my home.    So I drop one into the pan and spread half of the veggie mixture onto the tortilla.


Next, I add the cheese.  I always use a mexican blend, part-skim cheese.  The cheese is important, because it's the glue that holds the whole thing together.  So don't skimp.


Now, I drop another tortilla on the top, and let it cook a few minutes, pressing down on the top tortilla every once in a while.    The key here is to get the tortillas to stick together.


I then brush the top tortilla with a bit more oil.  Not too much.


And, because I like my quesadillas to be a little on the crispier side, I wait until I hear a little sizzle.  That's when I know it's good to turn.  Also, the tortilla will have little golden marks.....that look like this, on the bottom:
 

Now comes the tricky part.  I like to slide the whole thing onto a plate, first, rather than try to flip it with a spatula.  If you think you can do it, knock yourself out.  The smaller tortillas, you might be able to do it.  But I wouldn't risk it with a tortilla this size.


So, after the half-cooked quesadilla is on the plate, I take the frying pan (but be careful, it's hot!) and turn it over the plate.  I take the plate and flip the quesadilla into the pan.  Voila!



Let this cook for a few more minutes.  Check with the spatula to make sure the bottom tortilla is the same doneness as the top tortilla.  Then you're done!

I prefer to cut mine with a pizza cutter, then add some sour cream and salsa, for dipping.   It's the perfect go-to meal when you realize you forgot to thaw out some meat for dinner!