Well, friends, Cinco de Mayo is upon us once again! And tonight, LeeLee and I paid our respects to our neighbors in Mexico by enjoying one of our favorite Mexican meals, vegan bean quesadillas, served with a side of yellow rice and some chips to round out the offerings.
The bean quesadillas aren’t new around these parts; in fact, this is one of the oldest recipes I still use! I know I’ve already discussed this dish’s heritage in my life both in a previous post as well as in a Tiny Kitchen video, so I won’t delve too deeply again today, but I will say that every time I eat this meal, it continues to take me back to a simpler time. Well, now, in fairness, at the time I didn’t think it was so simple. But looking back now, about a decade and a half on, it surely feels like an easier, more laid-back period in my life. I wonder if this period will feel the same in another 15 years? I suppose this is yet another reason to gather our rosebuds while we may.
Tonight, we gathered no rosebuds, but instead gathered up some flour tortillas and Daiya cheddar in order to concoct a wonderful batch of quesadillas. The bean mixture – which I’ve discussed in the posts above – was just as tasty as ever, even with the substitution of a can of Rotel for the fresh-diced tomato and jalapeno. And the tortillas couldn’t have been softer, clinging as they did to the vegan cheese when the quesadillas baked in the oven at 450 for 10 minutes or so. Once they were ready, we pulled them out, sliced them with a pizza cutter, and dug in, enjoying a healthy dollop of yellow rice on the side, garnished with vegan sour cream and salsa (and served with some tortilla chips for good measure).
The final result was precisely as we’ve come to expect from this meal: simply perfection. We both love the mingling of cumin with garlic powder with fresh cilantro and chipotle powder, to say nothing of the beans and onion and all the rest! The Daiya cheddar held up just perfectly, as it’s wont to do, and the rice served as the perfect accompaniment to the main course. The chips gave some salty crunch to the rest of the offerings and – it must be said – paired perfectly with our beer of choice.
To make matters even better, we’ve got three quesadillas left over, plus some additional beans and rice! Lunchtime just got more exciting around these parts.
:)