The captious vegetarian

Based on a recipe from the cookbook Fresh Food Fast, by Peter Berley. This recipe is definitely one of my favorite quesadilla recipes. The zucchini adds a moist, sweet, delicate flavor, and the added moisture means that less cheese is needed to achieve the silky mouthfeel expected of a typical quesadilla.

Yields: 4-6 quesadillas, depending on tortilla size and amount of cheese used
Serving size: 1 quesadilla

Remove from the fridge or freezer:

• 8-12 flour or whole wheat tortillas (8 inches in diameter)

In a colander, toss together with your hands:

• 1 pound zucchini, coarsely grated (about 2 medium zucchinis, or 3 small zucchinis)
• 0.5 tsp coarse salt

While the zucchini sits, combine in a a large bowl:

• 2 cups of black beans (or one 15-ounce can), drained well.
• 4-8 ounces of sharp cheddar cheese, coarsely grated (see note)
• 1 jalepeno pepper, with seeds, finely chopped

Squeeze the zucchini well to remove as much of its liquid as possible, then add to the bean mixture and mix well. (You can save the liquid and add it to soup, but it will be salty.)

Warm a large skillet (that has a lid) over medium-low heat. Meanwhile, brush or spray a tortilla with olive oil, place the oiled side down in the skillet, and spread with the bean mixture, spreading the filling all the way to the edges. Top with a plain tortilla and brush or spray the top with oil. Cover the skillet. Cook until the cheese melts and the tortilla is gold brown, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat to make the other quesadillas. To make many quesadillas simultaneously, place the quesadillas on a baking sheet and broil, about six inches from the heat, about 1-2 minutes per side.

Serve with salsa, or a cilantro yogurt sauce.

My notes: I really like this recipe with the red chile tortillas from Whole Foods (but note that they only come 6 to a package, so get two packages to make this recipe). I’ve also tried the whole foods whole wheat tortillas, which weren’t quite as tasty but are whole grain. This recipe made 5 quesadillas with the Whole Foods tortillas (which are a bit small), with each quesadilla having about 3/4 cup of filling. The mixture could probably be stretched to make 6 or even 7 quesadillas if slightly less filling is used. If you use larger tortillas you will get fewer quesadillas.

Do *not* leave the jalepeno out–it really adds an important flavor. The original recipe called for 1.5 tsp. salt which was way too much. I just tried it with a heaping 1/2 tsp. and it was definitely enough for the zucchini to drain. Next time I’m going to try just 1/2 tsp. as I still found them a bit salty. The original recipe called for Monterrey Jack but I prefer a very sharp cheddar instead, or a mix of different cheeses. The original recipe called for 8 ounces of cheese, I believe, but I think these are quite tasty with only 4 ounces of cheese, although they don’t hold together as well. Derek prefers 6 ounces of cheese. It’s pretty flexible, so suit yourself.

Each quesadilla has about 400-550 calories each, depending on which tortillas are used, how much cheese, and how many quesadillas you make. One is enough for lunch, and with a light salad or vegetable side one quesadilla would make a very filling dinner. That said, when I make these for dinner people often eat two, or at least one and a half, so plan accordingly.

Rating: A-
Derek: A

Update Jan 2008: As part of a new food challenge I decided to try to make a recipe using raw winter squash. I picked this one, thinking that grated butternut squash might be an interesting replacement for the zucchini. I guess technically it’s not raw since the quesadillas get cooked, but really the squash just gets warmed up not really cooked through.

I grated my squash, sprinkled it with salt and let it drain in a colander to reduce the moisture. With zucchini I lose a lot of water, but with squash, after 40 minutes draining, nada. I pushed firmly on the squash to try to get all the water out, but still zilch, not a drop of liquid. Apparently, salting and draining butternut squash is not necessary!

I mixed the grated squash with black beans, jalepeno, and 6 ounces cheddar cheese, then put the mixture in a whole wheat tortilla and lightly pan-fried it to make a quesadilla. It had a bit of “raw squash” flavor, but it was very subtle. I didn’t think the squash added as much silky texture or flavor as zucchini, but it wasn’t unpleasant by any means.

The next day I brought the leftover filling and extra tortillas to work with me and made myself a “baked quesadilla” in the toaster oven for lunch. I don’t know if it was because the squash has been sitting longer, or because of the baking (about 4 minutes in the toaster oven), but this time the quesadillas had less raw squash flavor and a bit more good squash flavor. It’s certainly a good way to add some vitamin A to a quesadilla, and an easy way to get rid of leftover squash.