Easy Mushroom and Cauliflower Quesadillas
Trust me when I say that you’ll want these EASY MUSHROOM AND CAULIFLOWER QUESADILLAS in your meal rotation. These vegetarian quesadillas are a 5-ingredient-only affair, hearty, filling and always, always hit the spot 🤌
Hand-shredded king oyster mushrooms are amazing for creating satisfying “meatiness” in all kinds of meatless dishes. The shredded mushrooms and cauliflower florets oven-roast for 15 minutes until brown on the edges, then piled inside flour tortillas along with chopped scallions and shredded Oaxaca (or mozzarella) cheese. They’re grilled on a skillet until crispy on the outside and gooey on the inside. I mean, these are chef’s kiss!
I write recipes to serve four adults, but the recipe for these EASY MUSHROOM AND CAULIFLOWER QUESADILLAS is definitely one that is easily scaled up or down. Even if you’re cooking for just 1 or 2, prep the full recipe and store the components in the fridge to be made into fresh quesadillas very speedily all week long. Minimal effort, maximum pay off. That’s the ROI we all need.
Let me know what you think of this recipe in comments below :) If you make it, tag me on Instagram so I can see!
Eat well and be well x
Sonia
THE ASSEMBLY - once the cauliflower and mushrooms are roasted, it goes down like this in the skillet:
1. Lightly spray or brush oil on skillet and place a tortilla onto preheated skillet.
2. Sprinkle a layer of shredded cheese. (Tip: let some of it overhang the tortilla if you want crispy cheese skirt)
3. Add roasted cauliflower florets.
4. Add roasted king oyster mushrooms. Since we didn’t salt the mushrooms before roasting (to avoid drawing out moisture and causing them to steam instead of roast), you can season with a sprinkle of salt to taste at this point.
5. Add chopped scallions.
6. Sprinkle shredded cheese.
7. Place second tortilla on top.
8. Place a heavy skillet (or plate with canned food on top) to encourage even cooking on the bottom.
9. Done! Enjoy fresh and hot.
EASY MUSHROOM AND CAULIFLOWER QUESADILLAS
Recipe makes 6 quesadillas (serves 4)
INGREDIENTS
3 x 170g packages king oyster mushrooms, hand-shredded into strips (total 510g)
6 C cauliflower florets cut from half a large cauliflower (~570g)
2.5 C shredded Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese (~200g)
2 scallions, chopped
12 flour tortillas (6.5” diameter)
Oil
Salt and pepper
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425f. On one large parchment-lined baking sheet, spread shredded king oyster mushrooms and toss with a drizzle of oil. Do not salt at this stage, as it would draw out moisture from the mushrooms causing them to steam rather than brown. On a second large parchment-lined baking sheet, spread cauliflower florets and toss with oil and salt and pepper. Place both baking sheets into oven on middle rack (note: my baking sheets will fit side by side but if yours do not fit, place them on upper and lower racks and switch them halfway through – you may also need to add a bit more roasting time to get to desired brownness). Roast them 15 minutes or as long as needed to cook through with brown edges. Pull baking sheets out of oven to cool slightly.
Heat cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium heat. Spray or brush lightly with oil. Place one tortilla on pan. Working quickly, sprinkle about 3 tbsp shredded cheese. Spread 1/6th cauliflower florets. Spread 1/6th king oyster mushrooms. Sprinkle with a bit of salt now on the mushrooms. Sprinkle with 1/6th chopped scallions and add another 3 tbsp shredded cheese on top. Place second tortilla on top. To get even cooking, place a smaller heavy skillet (or plate with cans of food on top) to weigh everything down. Cook until bottom tortilla is golden brown and cheese is melty, about 2-3 minutes including the time you used to add the fillings. Remove weights, flip and cook other side about 2-3 minutes or whenever it is golden brown.
Repeat with remaining ingredients. Adjust heat as needed – I usually lower the heat a little as the pan gets increasingly hot. Cut quesadillas into halves or quarters and serve while hot.