A few days ago I saw a post on facebook about a newly vegan mom who was seeking advice on transitioning her husband and stepdaughter to a vegan diet.  I was trying to think of the best way I could help her and that inspired me to post these vegan lunches.  When I first became vegan I remember sifting through tons of new recipes to make for dinner every night.  There were so many out there and I was never at a loss for something new to try.  From seitan, to bean casseroles, to tempeh and tofu dishes, variety was no problem.  Lunches for my kids to bring to school, however, were more of a challenge for me.  I was so used to making tuna salad, egg salad, chicken salad, and even, I hate to admit it, deli meats.  Now that it has been 4 years, I have recipes that they enjoy even more than all those lunches I used to make.  I have already posted my recipes for mock tuna salad and faux chicken salad.  Tonight I made a nutritious and cruelty-free bean and cheez quesadilla.  It has plenty of protein, is simple to make, and tastes great!  Thanks to Daiya cheddar style shreds, the texture is just perfect!  Daiya is now available in many supermarket chains such as Shoprite, as well as specialty stores like Whole Foods.  It is actually possible that I have tried every vegan cheese on the market, and I can assure you that Daiya melts the best, just like dairy cheese.  Really!  If you haven’t tried it yet, what are you waiting for?

Bean and Cheez Quesadillas

ingredients for bean and cheese quesadillas

• 1 15 oz box or can red kidney beans, drained
• 1/2 c mock sour cream
• 2/3 c shredded cheddar style vegan cheese, preferably Daiya
• 2 t chopped chives
• 2 T chopped onion
• 1/4 t onion powder
• 1/8 t garlic powder
• 1/8 – 1/4 t chili powder
• 4 tortillas

Preheat oven to 425.  In a small bowl, combine the mock sour cream with the onion powder, garlic powder, chili powder and chives.  Place two tortillas on a very lightly oiled baking sheet. 

Spoon half of the sour cream mix over each tortilla.  Top each one with half of the beans.  Sprinkle half the onion on each and then the cheese.  Place another tortilla on top of each one and place in the oven for 8 minutes.  Turn the oven to broil and watch carefully so they don’t burn but get golden brown – about 3 minutes.  Let cool a few minutes before cutting each into 4 wedges.

Makes 8 wedges, which is good for 4 lunches.

With the quesadilla, I gave them some pineapple and a piece of vegan chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  If you want the recipe for the cake, just let me know and I will post it soon! 🙂