It’s fall and everything I cook and bake seems to have sweet potatoes, squash, or pumpkin in it. I served these for dinner recently, unsure of what my kids would think of this riff on quesadillas – and they loved them! My daughter asked if I would please make them again. You can make these quesadillas with your favorite type of quinoa salad. I happen to love the chile-lime dressing and the sweet potatoes in this recipe. This dish is so versatile…you can serve it as a main course, a side dish, or even for lunch (you will have leftover quinoa salad). You can omit the cheese (both in the salad and on the quesadilla) if you are dairy free and/or vegan.
Serves: 4 – 6, with leftovers
Ingredients:
for the quinoa salad:
- 1 cup uncooked quinoa
- 2 cups water
- 1 medium sweet potato, cubed
- olive oil, for roasting the potato
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup crumbled cotija cheese
- 1 -15 oz. can organic black beans, drained and rinsed
- a few big handfuls of arugula or baby salad greens
- a few big pinches of sea salt
- 3/4 teaspoon each chile powder, cumin, and paprika
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
- 1/2 cup pepitas, toasted
quinoa salad dressing:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 4 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)
- 2 teaspoons cumin
- 2 teaspoons ancho or chipotle chile powder
- a drizzle of honey or maple syrup
- a pinch of sea salt & a few cracks of pepper
for the quesadillas:
- 4-8 organic corn or whole grain tortillas
- shredded cheese (cheddar or monterey jack)
- optional toppings (see below)
optional quesadilla toppings:
- avocado slices
- salsa
- sour cream
- cilantro
Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Combine 1 cup rinsed quinoa and 2 cups water in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 15-20 minutes. When done, place the cooked quinoa in a large bowl.
- Meanwhile, spread sweet potato cubes on a baking sheet and lightly drizzle with olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Roast for 20 minutes, or until the sweet potatoes are golden brown and tender.
- While the sweet potatoes are roasting and the quinoa is cooking, whisk all dressing ingredients together and set aside.
- Add the roasted sweet potatoes to the cooked quinoa.
- Add all of the remaining quinoa salad ingredients to the bowl and toss everything together with half the dressing. Taste and add more dressing and a few pinches of salt, if necessary (you will have leftover dressing).
Note: You can make the quinoa salad ahead and assemble the quesdillas right before serving.
To assemble the quesadillas:
- Place tortillas in a big skillet over medium heat (you can do this in batches)
- Add quinoa salad and cheese to each tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and press down with the back of a spatula so the cheese melts.
- Flip and cook for a few more minutes.
- Remove from heat, slice in half, and serve with whatever garnish you like.
Adapted from the food blog Love and Lemons (www.loveandlemons.com).