Chef Rossi is feeling Quesadalicous this time of year. Make her delish vegan cheese quesadillas and gorgeous guacamole for some guilt free and gooood tummy filling.
Listen muffins, this girl is ready for some warm loving, roaring fires and hot bubble baths. Screw the snow; bring on the food! Come wintertime, I like to cheer up by throwing fabulous cocktail parties. I mean really darlings, what could be better then some delicious hors d’oeuvres and a vat of rum punch?! Well I guess a few things are better but somehow after a few rounds of the punch, I really can’t think of anything. I have served all kinds of fancy shmancy cocktail party food, but nothing wows the crowd more then a great quesadilla!
So what follows is a super easy quesadilla-licious recipe to get you in the party mood! Happy New Year!
Vegan Cheese Quesadillas:
Buy whatever kind of soft tortilla you love and spread one with vegan cream cheese, then top with shredded vegan pepper jack cheese, or cheddar, a plop of fresh chopped cilantro, a plop of sliced scallion and a handful of chopped tomato. Sometimes I throw in a handful of cooked beans or kernel corn too, but usually I keep it simple. Spread some vegan cream cheese on another tortilla and put the cheese side down over your first tortilla so you make a sandwich. The cream cheese kinda keeps things glued together. Then put the whole shebang in the oven at 350 for 10 minutes just till the cheese starts to melt and things get sticky. Take out and let cool. You can do this part way ahead. When you’re ready to serve, grease up a grill or a skillet and lay your tortilla carefully down and grill or sear till well marked on each side, then cut like a pie and serve with guacamole on top in a pretty little swirl or dollop whatever scintillates you deeply dear.
Ms. Rossi’s Gorgeous Guac:
Puree three ripe avocados with a handful of fresh cilantro, a plop of fresh minced garlic, several drizzles of fresh lime juice, salt and ground cumin to taste, a plop of minced jalapeno and a little drizzle of olive oil (yes olive oil dears really adds to the creamy-ness of things!)
Rossi aka Chef Rossi Rossi- yes she only has one name- has been a writer for many publications, such as “The Daily News,” “Time Out New York” and “Mcsweeney’s” to name a few. She is the writer of the “Eat Me” column for “Bust” magazine and hosts her own hit radio show on WOMR and WFMR in Cape Cod called “Bite This”, now going into its 8th season. She has been featured on “The Food Network” and “NPR” and has just completed her first edible memoir “The Devil and Mrs. Goldstein!” As the owner and executive chef of “The Raging Skillet” a cutting-edge catering company known for breaking any and all rules, she has earned a reputation as the one to call when it’s time to do something different. www.rossirant.com www.theragingskillet.com www.kvetchingandkooking.com