Jackfruit Carnitas Quesadilla
15-20 minutes
to prep
45 minutes
to cook
8 servings
About this Recipe
Recipe by: Alejandra Tolley @laveganaenojona
Ingredients
Jackfruit Carnitas:
- 3 cans of jackfruit
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ½ tbsp garlic powder
- ½ tbsp onion powder
- ½ tsp turmeric
- ⅓ cup nutritional yeast
- ½ tsp cumin
Cheese:
- 1 cup of soaked cashews (sitting in boiling water for an hour or soaked overnight works)
- 1 cup plant milk
- 2 garlic cloves
- ¼ tapioca flour
- ¼ cup nutritional yeast
- Pinch of salt
Step-by-Step Instructions
Prepare Jackfruit:
Step 1
Drain and rinse three cans worth of jackfruit. Once drained, dry as much as possible with a paper towel. The dryer the better. This bit takes some time but, it’s preferred than breaking apart with the cooking spoon while it’s in the pan—rip apart each piece of jackfruit so it looks like pulled “meat” shreds.
Step 2
Once the jackfruit has been pulled apart, toss into a pan with heated up vegetable oil. (Do not use olive oil.) Toss and stir for about a minute on medium heat.
Step 3
Once the jackfruit is evenly coated in the oil, add in salt, pepper, garlic, and onion powder. Stir and let sit for about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Then add in turmeric, nutritional yeast, and cumin and stir until all spices are evenly coated.
Step 5
Cover and let sit for about 5-7 minutes. Stir. You’re going to repeat this (about 6-7 times) until the jackfruit gets brown, dryer in texture, and lightly crispy. Slow and steady is the trick to get rid of the brine-y taste. (It tastes even better the next day!) Once jackfruit is finished, turn off the heat, and start on cheese.
Cheese instructions:
Step 1
Blend soaked cashews, plant milk, garlic cloves, tapioca flour, nutritional yeast, and salt until smooth.
Step 2
Then pour it into a medium-heat pot and begin stirring immediately.
Step 3
Keep stirring until the texture begins to thicken and achieve a “goop” like consistency. This can take up to 7-10 minutes. Be patient!
Step 4
Once the cheese has achieved the “goop” like texture, turn off heat and begin assembling.
Step 5
Slightly warm up a flour tortilla on a comal and spread the cheese mixture on the bottom half of the tortilla, then add jackfruit carnitas on top. Fold over top half, and flip once the other side is fully cooked (light brown crispy color)
Step 5
Pair with guacamole or vegan sour cream and enjoy!
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