The Climate Kitchen: Sweet Potato Quesadillas

According to the International Panel for Sustainable Resource Management, the overwhelming scientific evidence shows that two sources of consumption are the greatest causes of global biodiversity loss, water overuse, toxic emissions, and climate change, which cumulatively pose a threat to life as we know it for our children’s future. One source of consumption is the use of fossil fuels for heating, transportation, materials production, and the production and use of electrical appliances. Of comparable importance is agriculture, particularly animal industries. In this series, the Habanero presents climate-friendly recipes that are also healthy.

Let’s get this out of the way in the beginning. There is no cheese in this quesadilla. I hear your question already: “Can you call it a quesadilla if there’s no cheese?” Sure, why not? What is the cheese in this situation but the warm, creamy reward between two sides of a crispy tortilla? You say cheese, I say, we can do better. And that better, my friends, is the delightful and delicious sweet potato.

This is a lovely reimagining of a quesadilla. Essentially, the sweet potatoes are cooked like refried beans. You can precook your sweet potatoes however you prefer so they’re ready to go when you’re ready to cook a quick meal. Again, this recipe does not contain a cheese substitute; the creamy texture of a well-cooked sweet potato stands on its own. However, the beauty of this recipe is the enormous amount of variation that can be had. Add some refried black beans for extra protein! Like it spicy? Slice up your pepper of choice and kick it up a notch.

Ingredients (makes four servings)

• 1 large sweet potato
• (4) 8-inch flour tortillas
• Olive oil
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• ¼ teaspoon Cumin
• ¼ teaspoon chili powder
• ¼ teaspoon smoked paprika
• Salt, to taste

Preparation (time varies depending on size and method)

Prepare your sweet potatoes as you prefer. The easiest, and often quickest, method is to use an instant pot. Small sweet potatoes (2-inch diameter) can be done in 25 minutes. Larger ones (4-inch diameter) can take about 70 minutes. Those times include the 10 minutes to naturally release the pressure. Scrub the sweet potatoes and pierce them with a fork four or five times. Pour one cup of water into the instant pot, insert a trivet, and then place your sweet potatoes on the trivet.

You can also wrap them in foil and place them in a 350° oven. Cook time here will run anywhere from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours. Scrub the sweet potatoes, poke them with a fork a few times, and then wrap them in foil to preserve the tender, creamy insides.

Cooking (about 15-20 minutes)

The sweet potatoes are done, and now you’re ready to cook the quesadillas.

1. Heat some oil in a skillet over medium heat.
2. Dice the sweet potatoes (leave the skin!) into 1-1 ½ inch cubes.
3. Add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes.
4. Add the diced sweet potatoes, stir a bit, then add the seasonings.
5. Smash the sweet potatoes with a potato masher until they have the desired texture.
6. Stir the sweet potato mixture occasionally. Depending on how recently you prepared the sweet potatoes, this could be 5-10 minutes.
7. Prepare another skillet, this one with just a bit of oil, over low heat. Alternatively, you can remove the sweet potato mixture when it’s done cooking and use the same skillet after wiping and cooling a bit.
8. Add a quarter of the sweet potato mixture to one-half of a tortilla and fold the other half over.
9. Cook quesadillas for about 5 minutes, until the tortilla is nice and crispy, flipping once.
10. Eat your tasty quesadilla. Share with friends and rejoice when they ask for more.

The Carbon of It All 

So, what’s the carbon footprint of one sweet potato quesadilla? Just a tiny 0.28 kg CO2. All four servings amount to a grand total of 1.12 kg CO2, or just one chicken quesadilla.

       …And Some Macros for You (for one serving) 

Here’s the macronutrient breakdown for one sweet potato quesadilla compared to your average frozen quesadilla. The protein stacks up! The sweet potato version takes the lead in dietary fiber, though. Good for your gut, good for the earth! Win-win!

Remember, the %DV, or percentage of recommended daily value of any given nutrient is based on a 2,000-calorie diet.