Mushroom Cuban Quesadilla

It was about three years ago when I came across this recipe in Food & Wine Magazine. The twist on a classic sandwich perked my taste buds and I can tell you it was love at first bite. For me, it’s important to continue researching and developing recipes to keep up with trends, challenge my skills and my taste buds.

A good time for me is flipping through a cook book. My favorite book or magazine is the one I am looking through at that moment. I like to go through all my favorite books and magazines I haven’t seen in a while and just turn through the pages over and over again until I land on a recipe I want to experiment on.

I recently started playing with molecular gastronomy, bought a kit and everything. It is one of those things I wish I would have thought of learn when I was teaching middle science. Turning sriracha into caviar would have certainly engaged the students. Keep watching our stories on Facebook and Instagram to see how much fun it is to play with your food!

For the reason you are here, Mushroom Cubano Quesadilla:

8 large portabella mushrooms

2 teaspoons of ground cumin

1 teaspoon of garlic powder

1 teaspoon of black pepper

1 teaspoon of orange zest

Kosher salt

On a baking sheet or plate, lay the cleaned mushrooms gill side up. In a small bowl, mix together the cumin, garlic, pepper and orange zest. Sprinkle the mixture on to each of the mushrooms and then sprinkle salt onto each one. Put the mushrooms in the refrigerator overnight.

1/4 cup of whole grain or dijon mustard or yellow mustard

4-6 Large flour tortillas

16 slices of Swiss cheese

1 cup of chopped dill pickles

Sliced Scallions, for garnish

Pull the mushrooms from the refrigerator and slice them up.

Heat a cast iron or heavy pan to medium high heat. The recipe from Food & Wine asks you to use 1/2 cup of oil in the pan to fry the quesadillas. I personally like to use just a swirl of oil and a hot pan.

Spread the mustard on one side of two tortillas and top with two slices of cheese. Add mushrooms and pickles to one of the sides of the tortilla and then top with the other prepared tortilla, like a sandwich.

Carefully place the quesadilla in the hot pan. Keep an eye on the bottom. You want the cheese to melt before the tortilla turns brown. If needed, reduce the heat and put a lid over the quesadilla. Once golden brown, carefully flip the quesadilla and repeat.

Remove the quesadilla from the pan and repeat with the other 2. Slice the quesadillas and sprinkle on some spring onions. Enjoy. Great Meatless Monday Meal!