Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza
Tender squash blossoms sautéed with onions and epazote, tucked into melted Oaxaca cheese and griddled until crispy. A light, vegetarian Mexican classic that tastes like spring.
- Total time
- 30 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 385
- Protein
- 14g
Ingredients
- 12 whole squash blossoms (zucchini or pumpkin flowers), cleaned
- ½ medium white onion
- 2 whole garlic cloves
- 6 leaves fresh epazote leaves (or cilantro as substitute)
- 6 ounces Oaxaca cheese (or fresh mozzarella)
- 4 whole corn tortillas, white or yellow
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 pinch salt and pepper
Instructions
- 1
Hold each squash blossom by its stem under cool running water and gently rinse the inside, removing any dirt or insects; pat dry with a clean towel.
- 2
Place the squash blossoms on a cutting board and remove the stems by pinching them off with your fingers; discard the stems.
- 3
Slice the blossom petals lengthwise into 0.25-inch-wide strips, like shredding them into thin pieces.
- 4
Cut the onion in half from root to tip, then place the flat side down and slice crosswise into 0.25-inch-thin half-moons.
- 5
Mince the garlic until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about the size of pencil-tip dots.
- 6
Tear the Oaxaca cheese into rough clumps about the size of walnuts; set aside on a plate.
- 7
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat until it shimmers and slides quickly when you tilt the pan, about 90 seconds.
- 8
Add the sliced onion and minced garlic to the hot oil and stir once every 20 seconds until the onion turns translucent and soft, about 3 minutes.
- 9
Add the shredded squash blossom pieces to the pan and stir gently every 15 seconds until they soften and release their liquid, about 2 minutes.
- 10
Tear the epazote leaves into small pieces and scatter them over the squash; stir once and turn off the heat.
- 11
Taste the filling with a clean spoon and sprinkle with salt and pepper until it tastes flavorful—not bland.
- 12
Warm a 12-inch skillet or griddle over medium-high heat until a drop of water sizzles and evaporates instantly, about 60 seconds.
- 13
Place one tortilla flat on a cutting board and spoon one-quarter of the squash filling onto the left half of the tortilla, leaving a 0.5-inch border.
- 14
Scatter one-quarter of the torn Oaxaca cheese on top of the filling.
- 15
Fold the tortilla in half over the filling, pressing gently so the cheese spreads toward the edges.
- 16
Brush 0.5 tablespoon of olive oil onto the bottom surface of the folded quesadilla.
- 17
Slide the oiled quesadilla onto the hot griddle and cook until the bottom surface turns golden brown with crispy spots, about 2 minutes—do not move it.
- 18
Brush 0.5 tablespoon of olive oil onto the top surface of the quesadilla while it cooks on the griddle.
- 19
Flip the quesadilla with a wide spatula and cook the second side until it also turns golden brown with crispy spots, about 90 seconds.
- 20
Slide the cooked quesadilla onto a plate; repeat steps 13–19 with the remaining three tortillas and filling.
- 21
Serve the quesadillas warm, cutting each one diagonally in half if desired.
Tools you’ll need
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- 12-inch skillet (for sautéing)
- 12-inch griddle or skillet (for griddling)
- wooden spoon
- rubber spatula
- large plate
- clean towel
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