I love Mexican food! The salsa, the guacamole, the margaritas…..what’s not to love? It’s a family favourite in our house too – my daughter is the guacamole queen and loves to whip up her own “world-famous” blend for us to enjoy.

This recipe for veggie quesadillas is incredibly easy and yummy for the whole family. You can use any wrap of your choosing – we used large whole wheat wraps but corn or another gluten free version would work just as well. My littlest guy likes just plain cheese so you can do cheese quesadillas as an alternative for the pickier eaters in your family using either Daiya for the vegans or a good quality organic cheddar (I like this one).

And if you live in the Burlington area might I recommend that you pick up some of the mind-blowing salsa made by the local chefs at Sabores Latinos to accompany this meal. It’s fresh and fabulous and you can grab some at their retail store on Harvester or at Goodness Me on Fairview.

Veggie Quesadillas: (adapted from Moosewood Restaurant New Classics)

2 cups of sliced yellow potatoes (approx 1/2 inch)
1 clove garlic, pressed
1 onion, sliced
1 medium zucchini, sliced
1-2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
2 peppers (red, yellow or green or a combination) sliced
¼ cup olive oil (+ more for frying quesadillas)
½ tsp each of dried basil and oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
6-8 large tortillas of your choosing
2 cups grated regular or vegan cheddar cheese
½ cup freshly chopped cilantro

Preheat the oven to 425’. Toss all of the veggies and garlic with olive oil, basil, oregano and salt and pepper until evenly coated. Spread them out on a baking sheet and pop them in the oven on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown and soften.

Lay your wrap on the counter and scoop approx. ½ cup of roasted veggies onto one half of the tortilla leaving a ½ inch border around the edge. Sprinkle some cheese and cilantro on top and fold your wrap in half.
Put a 2 tsp of oil into a large frying pan and heat the pan to medium-high. When the pan is hot, cook 2 quesadillas for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown. Repeat until all of your veggies are used up – you may have to add more oil after each batch so that they don’t stick. Slice and serve with salsa and guacamole.

If you are having a party or want to get fancy – you could also turn this into a Mexican fiesta by serving a nice salad, some tortilla chips, Mexican rice and some churros for dessert. Oh and don’t forget the margaritas!

Bonus Recipe- Isabelle’s World Famous Guacamole:
4 ripe avocados
Juice from ½ a lemon
1 clove garlic, pressed
Dash of cayenne pepper
Sea salt to taste

Cut avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop the green flesh out into a bowl. Add the lemon, garlic, cayenne and sea salt and smush it all together with a fork. If you aren’t going to eat it right away – leave a pit in the bowl to keep the guacamole from browning. (I realize this isn’t the most visually appealing picture but Izzy insisted in controlling everything to do with her guacamole including the presentation and photography. Trust me, it tastes better than it looks! ; )