Quesadilla Proteina is a fresh Mexican dish for vegetarians who want something more interesting than a salad or veggie burger, but lighter than one of Usdan’s hot meals. It is fresh, simple and contains carbohydrates, protein, dairy and vegetables—all major components of a healthy diet. Although the quesadilla takes time to make, as the panini press takes a while to melt the cheese, the dish will be well worth the wait.

Ingredients

1 round tortilla
6 cubes of tofu
2 scoops of shredded cheddar cheese
3 diced tomato slices
salsa

Recipe

First, politely ask Marie, a Sodexo employee who works the sandwich bar, for one tortilla. Take the tortilla and lay it out on a flat plate. On a separate, small plate, take six cubes of tofu from the salad bar and cut them in half. Carefully place them on one half of the round tortilla. It is easiest to lay the pieces along the diameter and then work your way out toward the perimeter of the tortilla. After all 12 half slices of tofu are placed on the tortilla, take 3 slices of tomato from the salad bar and dice them. While the size of tomato dices can vary, it is suggested that they average about two square centimeters. Scatter the diced tomato on top of and in between the sliced tofu. Lastly, sprinkle two scoops of shredded cheddar cheese from the salad bar on top of the tofu and tomatoes. If you prefer cheesy quesadillas, one more scoop of cheese can be added, but past that, it will melt out of the quesadilla and onto the paper used in the panini machine. Fold the unused half of the tortilla over the half with the tofu and tomato to make a sandwich. Take the tortilla over to the sandwich station and place it carefully on the panini press. Be sure to place parchment paper on both sides of your quesadilla. Do not get impatient and press down on the handle of the panini maker. The paper will melt onto the quesadilla. After 10 minutes, remove the quesadilla from the panini press. Walk over to the chips and hummus station and put salsa on top of the hot quesadilla. Enjoy!