Pineapple Buffalo Tofu Quesadillas

(Serves 4 – 2 half quesadillas per serving)

Ingredients:

• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 ounces Extra Firm Tofu, Pressed (see directoions below)
• 4 Whole Flour Tortillas
• Buffalo Sauce - I used Mexican Cholula Sauce (its a cross between hot and buffalo sauce - heat: medium)
• 5 Green Onions, Finely Chopped
• 2 medium Tomatoes, Finely Chopped
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, Sliced
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• 1 can (8 oz) Dole Crushed Pineapple with Juice - avoid the one with syrup
• ¼ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ Tsp Cumin
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 1 cup Shredded Cheese
• 4 Tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Onions to the pan. Sauté till they soften and then add the Pineapple with its juice. Cook till about 1/2 the juice has evaporated. 
2. Add in the Red Bell Pepper, Cumin, Red Pepper Flakes and Salt. Once the juices are done cooking set the mixture aside. Let this cool to room temperature. 
3. In a separate bowl crumble the pre-pressed tofu. If you haven't pressed tofu yet or need directions on it, please read the notes section below. Add in the Buffalo sauce, as much as you need. I would start with a very small quantity. Fold in the Pineapple mixture and the remaining vegetables. 
4. Spray the inside of a skillet lightly with Pam Cooking Spray and heat the tortilla. Once it softens up, layer half the tortilla with the filling and some shredded cheese. Fold.
5. Cook evenly on both sides. Be careful when flipping over the YUMMY Quesadilla! It takes less than a minute to cook these so be very careful.

Serve warm with sour cream!

I find sautéing vegetables and then making quesadillas very easy. For a quick meal, I would make the vegetable filling on my day off and refrigerate it. This made for a healthy meal when you are pressed for time. This is ideal for college students too! 

Pressing Tofu:

1. Open the package and drain the water. 
2. Cut the tofu width wise. I typically cut them into 5-6 pieces. 
3. Place a single layer of these on a towel. I use paper towels, mainly because it makes for an easy and quick cleanup. 
4. Using my hand and another paper  towel I pat the pieces dry. Get as much moisture off by patting them. NOTE: The tofu (even if you by extra firm) is still tender at this point. 
5. Layer a new set of 2-4 paper towels and place a single layer of the tofu on cutting board.
6. Cover this layer with another 2-4 paper towels. Place a bowl or large plate and some heavy objects so the water gets out of the yummy tofu! 
7. I use a square serving platter and add some canned goods. Let it drain for about 30 minutes and your tofu is ready! 

PS: Amazon does sell equipment that presses Tofu but why pay when you can do it at home for a fraction of the cost. 

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

Spinach Mushroom Quesadillas

(Serves 4 – 2 half quesadillas per serving)

Ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp Olive Oil
• Pam Cooking Spray
• 8 ounces White Mushrooms, Sliced
• 8 cups Baby Spinach
• 8 Whole Flour Tortillas
• 1 medium Yellow Onion, Sliced
• ½ Red Bell Pepper, Sliced
• ¼ Tsp Red Pepper Flakes
• ¼ Tsp Cumin
• ½ Tsp Salt
• 4 Slices of Cheese or 1 cup Shredded Cheese
• 4 Tbsp Low Fat Sour Cream

Directions:

1. Heat a Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the Onions to the pan. Sauté till they turn yellow and then add the Red Bell Peppers. NOTE: We only want to soften the peppers. Set this aside.
2. In the same pan add in the Mushrooms and cook for 3-5 minutes. Once the mushrooms soften up add in the Spinach. Note: You will need to constantly toss the Spinach so that it doesn't burn. The goal here is to wilt the Spinach.
3. Add in the onion and pepper mix. Now let’s add in all the seasoning.
4. The salt tends to make the vegetables sweat a tad more, so cook for another 3-5 minutes. Once it is the consistency you like, turn of the stove and take the filling off the heat.
5. Spray the inside of a skillet lightly with Pam Cooking Spray and heat the tortilla. Once it softens up, layer half the tortilla with the sliced cheese and filling. Fold.
6. Cook evenly on both sides. Be careful when flipping over the YUMMY Quesadilla! It takes less than a minute to cook these so be very careful.

Serve warm with sour cream!

I find sautéing vegetables and then making quesadillas very easy. When my brother and I were much younger my mom would make the vegetable filling on her day off and refrigerate it. This made for a healthy lunch while she was at work. This is ideal for college students too! 

PS: Spinach is an EXCELLENT source of Iron, boost energy level, so eat up!