Roasted Cauliflower Quesadillas

 

I’m really running out of wintry food ideas. How many more roast vegetables will I be forced to char before delicate pea vines, plush stone fruit and gushingly ripe tomatoes come out to play? Probably as long as it is going to take to get a pair of glasses that actually does its job on my face. (The Grand Warby Parker Incompetence Saga. You don’t want to know.)

You know what I never get sick of charring and also has the power to cheer blurry eyes and downtrodden spirits? Crispy, toasty fried cheese. I don’t really have much more to say other than these served their purpose of comforting me when I needed it. Chocolates, kisses and flowers don’t solve problems, but these Roasted Cauliflower Quesadillas can absolutely assist in calming and abating despondency. Now pair these with a couple episodes of Broad City, and you’ve got a night that will almost make you forget how irate you are at a certain eyeglass company that can’t seem to get anything right.

 

Turn on your broiler and put a cast iron skillet inside the oven to heat. Chop up a head of cauliflower into bite sized pieces. Also roughly chop a small red onion, a poblano pepper and smash a few garlic cloves. Add these all to a bowl and add a bit of olive oil, 1-2 limes worth of juice and season well with salt, pepper and cumin. Using your hands, mix it all together. Once the cast iron pan is hot, pour the cauliflower mixture in and place under the broiler. Be sure to check and stir it all up every couple of minutes until it all gets a nice char. The garlic will probably be done sooner, so take those cloves out while the rest continues to cook.

 

Once the cauliflower mixture has the color you want, take it out of the broiler. Shred some extra sharp cheddar cheese. Assemble a large tortilla with the cheese amount you prefer and add a spoonful of the cauliflower mixture, all on one half of the tortilla. Fold over in half. You know how to make a quesadilla. Get a large pan or skillet super hot, coated with just a touch of high heat oil. Once it is hot, place your tortilla on the pan and allow it to get crispy. I suggest really pressing down on the quesadilla as it cooks so the cheese oozes freely and fries gorgeously. Flip to cook evenly on both sides. Repeat until the ingredients run out. Serve with a cool, fresh and zingy salsa and a gin and tonic with extra lime.