Mexican · Authentic-ish Mexican
Quesadillas
381 kcal a serving, against 696 for the traditional version. That is 315 kcal off, or 45%, with 19g of protein. Serves 4. 30 minutes.
What the traditional version is
A massive handful of melting cheese enclosed in a corn tortilla, shallow fried in vegetable oil or lard until golden and crisp. The cheese oozes out the sides and crisps up in the fat, creating a heavy, rich and immensely satisfying meal.
What changed, and what each change costs
400g of melting cheese and 45g of vegetable oil swapped for 150g of cheese and a dry frying pan
Frying in oil adds an enormous amount of fat, and half a block of cheese per person does the rest. Dropping the oil completely and cutting the cheese back drastically forces the remaining ingredients to work much harder.
What it costs you. You lose the deep, fried crunch on the outside. A much more balanced meal, then. Not an oozing waterfall of dairy anymore, and I'm not going to pretend otherwise. The inside is significantly less gooey, which is a genuine loss.
Adding 250g of chestnut mushrooms and 200g of tinned black beans
Because I took away so much cheese, the tortillas would be depressingly flat. Mushrooms bring a meaty texture, while the black beans provide bulk and protein, filling out the quesadilla nicely.
What it costs you. Mushrooms and beans bring earthy flavours that change the dish entirely. It ceases to be a pure cheese experience and becomes a vegetable wrap with a cheese accent. This is the first compromise you'll notice when you take a bite.
400g of corn tortillas reduced to 300g
Using slightly fewer tortillas cuts down on the starch and overall size of the meal, tilting the balance towards the filling.
What it costs you. You get a smaller portion. If you've got a massive appetite, you'll need to bulk out the meal with a side salad, because these won't leave you completely stuffed.
The numbers
| Per serving | Traditional | Lightened |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 696 | 381 |
| Protein | 30.2g | 19g |
| Fat | 44g | 13.7g |
| Saturated fat | 20.9g | 7.5g |
| Carbohydrate | 47.3g | 49g |
| Protein per 100 kcal | 4.3g | 5g |
Every figure is computed from the recipe's own weighed ingredient list against public food composition databases. The appendix in Authentic-ish Mexican prints the exact database row used for each ingredient, so any number here can be checked.
Allergens. milk.
The method is in the book
This is a highly effective dinner. The dry-toasted tortilla still gives you a satisfying crunch, and the smaller amount of cheese glues the earthy mushrooms and beans together brilliantly. You get a solid hit of savoury flavour and a great texture. I really enjoy eating it. I won't lie to you about what it is, though. A proper, heavily stuffed cheese quesadilla fried in oil is a beautiful thing, and this absolutely does not match that level of sheer comfort. The loss is pure joy. You get a meal you can actually eat on a regular basis.
The quantities and the method for this dish are in Authentic-ish Mexican, along with 56 more. Buy the paperback