Gluten-free “Cheesy” Butternut Squash Quesadilla

Recipe and content provided by Courtney Swan

This gluten-free, vegan quesadilla recipe is inspired by my childhood. Cassava flour tortillas take me back to my formative years, when I could eat flour tortillas without abandon. It was a time before I was diagnosed with a wheat allergy that would sadly remove flour tortillas from my diet forever. Thankfully, now I have cassava flour tortillas to fill that void. They are so good you probably won’t notice the difference. I was inspired to make this spicy butternut squash vegan “cheese” by my friend Melanie. The combination of spicy, cheezy sauce and cassava flour tortilla is enough to make you think you’re eating really bad-for-you food, but surprise, there’s nothing unhealthy about this gluten-free, vegan quesadilla recipe.

Gluten-free “Cheesy” Butternut Squash Quesadilla  

Serves: 3 people

Ingredients:

Butternut Squash Cheeze

• 1 garlic clove
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 tablespoon red chili flakes
• 5 grinds of Himalayan sea salt
• 2/3 cup cashews
• 1/4 cup water
• 2/3 cup roasted butternut squash
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of juice from a lemon

Cassava Tortilla:

• 3/4 cup Otto’s Naturals Cassava flour
• 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/3 cup warm water

Optional Toppings:

• Organic, pastured, grilled chicken breast
• 1/2 avocado
• Arugula

Instructions:

Butternut Squash Cheeze:

1. Combine all ingredients in a blender.
2. Pulse until creamy consistency. May take around 5 minutes or so.

Cassava Tortillas:

1.     Mix the flour and salt. Add the oil and water and knead until dough is smooth.
2.     Divide dough into 6 balls.
3.     Roll out each dough ball between two pieces of parchment paper until thin.
4.     Heat a dry skillet over medium-high heat. Once properly heated, place tortilla on skillet. Allow air bubbles to form then flip over. Wait until each side is slightly browned.
5.     Place tortillas on plate and cover with towel to keep fresh and warm.

Quesadilla:

1.     Spread the butternut squash cheeze on one tortilla.
2.     Add whatever toppings you would like (I added organic grilled chicken breast strips, sliced avocado, and arugula).
3.     Add another tortilla on top, cut into fourths and enjoy!

Nutritional Information 

(Per 1 serving, without toppings):

• 557.2 calories
• 40.1 g fat
• 45.9 g carbs
• 6.7 g fiber
• 3.5 g sugar
• 9.6 g protein