Kids really can teach adults a lot. And in the way of food, they often teach me to be even more creative than normal in the kitchen, or at the very least, more adaptable. My family and I were thrilled to have a very good friend of ours and her 3-year-old staying with us for a visit this past week, and during the course of their stay, many of our meals included at least fifteen to twenty minutes of preparation time spent deciding what we could possibly make for our little friend. He ate well when he loved something, but he is quite possibly the pickiest 3-year-old I've ever met.
As a moderately picky foodie myself, I respect this.
In any case, there were a few things that always sounded good to him; namely, anything with cheese and bread. And so, it was on a night when we decided to cook Mexican at home that I whipped up some of these Vegan Cheese Quesadillas, which, as you probably can guess, are not made with real cheese and are not 100% plain. And yet, he loved them! When I set the plate down before him, he squealed, "dillas dillas!" We lovingly referred to them as "daiya 'dillas" for the rest of their visit (we made them two more times). On the night after they left, my husband and I were deciding what to make for dinner, and he looked at me and asked if we could have Daiya Dillas. Yes, I realized, this name is going to stick! Thanks Daiya, for making such delicious vegan, dairy-free, gluten-free, melty cheese!
Photo © 2012 Ashley Skabar, licensed to About.com, Inc.
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