Chef Linda
Linda Soper-Kolton, Chef, came to the Sanctuary as a guest chef to share her love of compassionate cooking in our then-fledgling culinary program. Lured by the magic of the Sanctuary, her love of animals and the urgency of our mission, Linda stayed on to lead and grow the culinary program, inspiring and educating with love, patience, and delicious food.
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Zucchini and Corn Quesadillas
By Chef Linda
Order a quesadilla from most restaurants and you'll get a glorified cheese sandwich, loaded with gobs of artery-blocking cheese and, if you're lucky, maybe a spoonful of heart-healthy guacamole on the side. A fast food quesadilla means you can add about 500 calories, 30 grams of fat and over 1100 milligrams of sodium to your day's nutritional tally. Still craving a quesadilla? There IS a better way.
A vegan approach to this Mexican comfort food means you can enjoy the taste without wrecking your waistline or your health. In this Zucchini and Corn Quesadilla, I turned to two vegan replacement foods to provide familiar tastes and textures without all the cholesterol, cruelty and fat. Vegan "chicken" strips, from Beyond Meat and dairy-free Pepper Jack Style Shreds from Daiya, helped to make these quesadillas hearty, chewy and familiar enough to satisfy even the non-vegans at the table.
Replacement products aren't for everyone; some prefer to leave the familiarity of certain foods behind, so leave out the vegan "chicken" strips, if you like. These quesadillas are equally delicious without them. If you eschew vegan cheese, that's ok, too! The refried beans will help hold the quesadilla together. Serve these with Tropical Tomatillo Salsa for a gourmet experience! Perfect as a main dish or appetizer.
Ingredients
1 package Beyond Meat/Beyond Chicken Southwest Style Strips
1 (14 ounce) can red or green enchilada sauce
Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped small, about 1 cup
1 teaspoon salt
2 small zucchini, chopped small, about 2 cups
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 large cloves garlic, minced, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
Juice from 2 limes, about 3 tablespoons
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (14 ounce) can veg-friendly refried beans (or purchase pinto beans, drain and rinse, then puree them in a food processor with a little olive oil)
16 (6 inch) corn or flour tortillas
1 bag Daiya Pepper Jack Style Shreds
Directions
1
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place vegan chicken strips in a food processor and pulse quickly to chop. Add enchilada sauce and pulse to combine, leaving the mixture very chunky. Set aside. This can be done a day or two in advance to allow for time to marinate.
Set a medium pan over medium heat and drizzle a little olive oil in the pan. Add onion and salt, then cook while stirring occasionally for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add zucchini to the pan and cook until zucchini starts to soften, then add corn and garlic. Stir and continue to cook till zucchini is fork-tender, another 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in lime juice and ground pepper.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay out enough tortillas to cover the tray. Spread about 1 tablespoon of refried beans on the tortilla. Sprinkle two tablespoons of vegan chicken mixture over the refried beans, then layer on the zucchini-corn mixture. Use an offset spatula or knife to even everything out. Sprinkle on two tablespoons of Daiya shreds and top with a tortilla. Place tray in the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. Refried beans and vegan cheese should be bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. Repeat until tortillas have all been used. Can be made ahead and reheated. Can also be made on an electric panini maker. Layer any leftover ingredients in an oven-safe bowl and bake for about 10 minutes to make a dip for chips.
Notes
Zucchini and Corn Quesadillas
8-10 quesadillas
INGREDIENTS
1 package Beyond Meat/Beyond Chicken Southwest Style Strips
1 (14 ounce) can red or green enchilada sauce
Olive oil
1 small onion, chopped small, about 1 cup
1 teaspoon salt
2 small zucchini, chopped small, about 2 cups
2 cups fresh or frozen corn kernels
2 large cloves garlic, minced, about 1 1/2 tablespoons
Juice from 2 limes, about 3 tablespoons
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 (14 ounce) can veg-friendly refried beans (or purchase pinto beans, drain and rinse, then puree them in a food processor with a little olive oil)
16 (6 inch) corn or flour tortillas
1 bag Daiya Pepper Jack Style Shreds
DIRECTIONS
1
Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Place vegan chicken strips in a food processor and pulse quickly to chop. Add enchilada sauce and pulse to combine, leaving the mixture very chunky. Set aside. This can be done a day or two in advance to allow for time to marinate.
Set a medium pan over medium heat and drizzle a little olive oil in the pan. Add onion and salt, then cook while stirring occasionally for about 5 to 8 minutes or until the onion softens and becomes translucent. Add zucchini to the pan and cook until zucchini starts to soften, then add corn and garlic. Stir and continue to cook till zucchini is fork-tender, another 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in lime juice and ground pepper.
Line a baking tray with parchment paper and lay out enough tortillas to cover the tray. Spread about 1 tablespoon of refried beans on the tortilla. Sprinkle two tablespoons of vegan chicken mixture over the refried beans, then layer on the zucchini-corn mixture. Use an offset spatula or knife to even everything out. Sprinkle on two tablespoons of Daiya shreds and top with a tortilla. Place tray in the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes. Refried beans and vegan cheese should be bubbling. Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before cutting into wedges. Repeat until tortillas have all been used. Can be made ahead and reheated. Can also be made on an electric panini maker. Layer any leftover ingredients in an oven-safe bowl and bake for about 10 minutes to make a dip for chips.