Tofu Quesadilla

Food! Here are some things I've eaten recently (like, last two weeks) plus a recipe! A simple, delicious recipe that even a tofu virgin would love!

Homemade macaroni and "cheese" with tofu. This was yummy. Not super cheesy tasting but a healthier "mac'n'cheese" for sure. The liquid used was vegetable broth and nutritional yeast for cheesiness. 

I received this in my Lollihop box in November. SO delicious. 

Thanksgiving leftovers plus some of the macaroni leftovers.

Veggie sub on flatbread at Subway. The veggie patties are NOT vegan, fyi. Canada is getting vegan meat slices...I wish the US would!

Cinnamon apple pancakes with sliced strawberries and coconut cream (canned coconut whipped with sugar).

another macaroni attempt, haha. I know, twice in two weeks. This was SUPER creamy and delicious. Very indulgent. This had a soy milk base plus I added some Daiya for more cheesiness. Damn. Now I want this again!

First nog of the year! Yep, we spiked it. My husband found the Silk nog at Target and grabbed it. He doesn't drink regular milk (although he does have dairy in other things). It's not as rich and creamy but it still tastes like eggnog. Yummm. 

We ate at Hill Street Cafe again over the weekend. I freakin' love that place. Everything is delicious, inexpensive and they have so many vegan options which are clearly marked on the menu. This was the Cajun tofu quesadilla. Yum!! I'd never thought to put tofu in a quesadilla but it inspired the recipe below... It also had soy cheese and I wish I'd asked what the brand was because it was really good.

Simple snack when I was craving something sweet. Applesauce with banana and muesli.

I really love tofu now. For this recipe, I soaked cubes of pressed extra firm tofu in teriyaki sauce, covered them in panko and baked them. I sauteed some broccoli, mushrooms and cauliflower. It was served over a combination of brown rice and quinoa. I also made a fresh (using oranges) orange sauce for it! I did chicken the same way as the tofu for my husband since he still thinks tofu is gross on its own.

Okay, recipe time! 

Tofu Quesadilla

Ingredients:

Onion, black beans, tortilla shells (1 large or two small), cheese (optional; you can omit or use hummus instead) and spinach.  You could also try mushrooms, bell pepper etc.  Not pictured: pressed extra firm tofu (I used about 1/4 block) and spices (tumeric, chili powder, garlic powder, salt)

In a pan, heat up a bit of olive oil and add your cubes of tofu. Season them with a few dashes of each spice. For some extra kick, add chipotle (I did!) seasoning.

Next, add your diced onions and cook for a few minutes.

Now add about 1/4 cup black beans. You can mash them up a bit so they'll hold together better. Cook until heated through.

Finally, add the spinach and sautee until wilted.

At this point, give it a taste and see if you want more spices or perhaps some salt.

Empty out the pan and place a tortilla shell down (or use a new pan but hey, why create more dirty dishes?).

Add your tofu mixture on top. If you are using a large tortilla, only cover half of the shell.

Add your cheese or hummus. I used Daiya mozzarella shreds. Mmm. Add your salsa too!

If you are using small tortillas, add your second one on top. If you are using one, fold it in half.

Let it cook until the bottom is browned then flip it over and do the same. This is easier with the folded tortilla but mine actually held together quite well!

All done! You could definitely eat this with some sauce like hummus or extra salsa but I just ate it next to some sweet potato fries (with ketchup and pepper). I'm eager to make this again as well as play with different ingredients. I LOVE this kind of dish.