Why didn’t I think of it before?! Lately, as September crept up on me and the nights have been arriving earlier, I have been missing..yearning for, like a lovestruck fool..a fave restaurant entree…..butternut squash quesadilla. So, being 5,000 miles away from certain heralded dining establishment, I continue to miss it and yearn, unceasing……..NO! What to do? Make it yourself knuckle head (tapping myself on forehead with bony knuckles).
I had been all set to conduct another test of a recipe book I’ve been reviewing, but I was dragging my heels, putting it off and kept on playing around with perfecting my VEGAN COLESLAW ENTREE SALAD (recipe coming soon). I realised I was pining for San Francisco and Gracias Madre, a restaurant I’ve visited several times, being the lucky gal that I am. Then it hit me, whilst wandering around my kitchen waiting for the clapper board of time to thwack me into action and get cooking, I spied a happy butternut squash, perched on my window sill….. Quesadillas de Calabaza is what I want! Oh my…after the marching band trouped through the kitchen to mark the occasion, I booted up the Internet to hunt down the recipe. But, shock horror, a recipe didn’t exist. Glorious pictures from diners at Gracias Madre yes, but recipe..none, nada. Not to be downhearted, ‘I’ll have to make it up myself’, I concluded.
I am SO VERY tickled pink that I did.
I even got out my dear old friend Mr Blue, and made homemade corn tortillas.
It is such a SIMPLE recipe…
Ingredients - for 3-4 quesadillas
Method for making tortilla
1.mix ingredients in a bowl
2.roll to make 5 balls of equal size (think golf ball)
3.place in middle of the tortilla press, between 2 sheets of baking parchment
4. close lid and pull down the handle ( I get so excited using my ‘no electricity required’ machine)
5.pull out the tortilla but leave it to sit on the bottom sheet of parchment. Pop it on a plate and leave to rest in the fridge for an hour (you can prepare these a day in advance)
6. heat a tortilla pan or fry pan. Pick up the parchment with tortilla and place on the pan with paper on top. Carefully peel from tortilla. Cook approx 1 minute each side.
Method for filling
1. chop the squash and place in a pan with 2 inches of water and the whole dried chili (so to offer a of hint of heat). Pop the lid on.
2. simmer gently for approx 30 minutes or until soft (but not mushy). When cooked remove the chili.
3. whilst the squash is cooking, chop the onion into rings and saute in a tbs oil until sweet and caramelized - approx 18-20 minutes)
4. blend the squash with a hand blender. DO NOT blend the onions.
5. put all ingredients together
6. salt and pepper to taste
Method for the Nacho Cheese
1. drain the cashews
2.put all ingredients into a food processor or using a hand blender, blend until smooth.
Plating up; spoon the filling into the tortilla, old and then spoon over the cheese. I roasted some sunflower seeds (you can use pumpkin seeds but I’d eaten the last of mine for my breakfast…) and then garnished with a sprinkle of these, some fried garlic slices, and some chopped ciltrano (coriander).
I served the Quesadillas with a side of RAW MOLE KALE SALAD (which I invented and was quite pleased with). Lovely, lovely, lovely.
What is YOUR favourite restaurant inspired recipe?
Yum, this looks delicious. I’m in awe of you making your own tortillas!
Angela. Thank you. I like your awe!
It is so fun. You don’t need a tortilla press either you could use the bottom of a saucepan.