Quesadilla time!
I was looking through my blog archives the other day and realized that I haven’t made a quesadilla recipe in century.
Okay century might be a bit of an exaggeration; if we’re being technical, it’s been two years. TWO YEARS since tortillas and cheese danced on my tongue in sweet matrimony.
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Guess I’ve been too busy making enchiladas?
But quesadillas are so much easier. And one could argue, just as tasty when dipped in salsa and guacamole.
This recipe is one of my favorites because it reminds me of my sweet and feisty Grandmother, Gloria Rivera. You see, Gloria Rivera is a true lady boss in her own right. She’s sassy, eccentric and eats more dessert than anyone I know. Gloria Rivera loves green chile, bran muffins and line dancing. She also meets her friends at the local Starbucks on Tuesday to participate in knitting sessions until 11pm at night. Lastly she also happened to introduce me to Calabacitas, a New Mexican style side dish that’s basically served with EVERYTHING.
Calabacitas translates to squash (zucchini) in Spanish. It seems that everyone has a different way of making them — some with butter and others with heaps of cheese. If you ever find yourself at a restaurant in New Mexico, it’s very likely that you’ll stumble across calabacitas as a side dish. So simple to make, but an addicting recipe that will have everyone coming back for more, especially when covered in cheese.
Today I decided to stuff calabacitas into a crispy whole wheat tortilla with plenty of Mexican Go Veggie Cheese. It’s vegan-friendly, packed with potassium, plus a decent amount of protein. I just finished eating the last quesadilla with salsa verde and huge scoops of my mango guacamole. My belly is happy.
This recipe would make a great easy lunch or dinner. If you’d like a little more substance, simply add in 1/2 cup of black beans or cooked chicken. Enjoy! xo
Vegetarian Calabacitas Quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 yellow onion, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 small zucchini, quartered
- Kernels from 1 ear of sweet corn
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin
- Freshly ground salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 large whole wheat tortillas
- 1/2 cup Go Veggie Vegan Mexican Shreds
Instructions
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Add olive oil to a medium skillet and place over medium heat. Next add in garlic, onion, jalapeno, zucchini and corn; saute for 5-6 minutes or until onion begins to soften and become translucent. Stir in cumin and salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside in a bowl.
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In the same skillet, add another teaspoon of oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray. Add 1 whole wheat tortilla and then most of the calabacitas mixture. Top with Go Veggie cheese shreds then top with the other tortilla. Cook 2-4 minutes or until the side is golden brown. Flip tortilla to the other side and cook until golden brown and cheese is melted.
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Cut into 4 large slices or 6 medium slices. Serves 2 people. Serve with salsa and guacamole.
Recipe Notes
Want more protein? Try adding in 1/2 cup of black beans to the quesadillas!
Nutrition
This recipe is in partnership with Go Veggie! All recipes, opinions and text are my own. Thanks for continuing to support AK and the brands that help make this site possible!
9 comments
NOM! Quesadillas are the best. I’m definitely going to add chicken to these.
i’ve never heard of or had calabacitas, but it sounds amazing (esp with quesadillas!). i love adding corn, sauteed onion, cumin and black beans to my quesadillas though, so i have a feeling i’d love these just as much.
Hey there, I have a question about tortillas. Do you have any recommendations for healthy tortilla brands that aren’t filled with partially hydrogenated oils and other harmful additives? Would love to make quesadillas but every time I read the ingredients on a package of tortillas, it scares me away! I don’t care if they’re whole wheat or regular as long as the ingredients are OK.
BTW I love all your recipes (especially your healthy muffins!)!! 🙂
Whole Foods Market sells clean tortillas in their frozen foods section.
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My daughters and I invited my new sister in law to our weekly girls day get together. My sis in law is vegan so we wanted to have a vegan lunch. This was a hit. Wow we really enjoyed it. Thank you for the recipe. I think we might try the chick pea avocado sandwich next time.
So delicious! We will definitely be adding this recipe to our rotation. Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed!