Veggie Quesadillas - Pantry Meal

Quesadillas are a quick weeknight meal we enjoy on a regular basis.  I can have these on the table in under 30 minutes.  One of our favorite recipes is this one for Vegetable Quesadillas.  One of the great things about this recipe is you can change out the vegetables to suit your tastes or what you have on hand in the refrigerator.  You can also used fresh, frozen or canned vegetables.  This is a true versatile  pantry meal.

 

 

Vegetable Quesadillas

 

1 t olive oil

1 c fresh or frozen corn kernels

1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1/2 c chopped zucchini

4 green onions, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 T chili powder

1/2 t ground cumin

1/4 t salt

8 (6 inch) tortillas ( I had HUGE ones is the refrigerator, so I made one large quesadilla and cut into wedges)

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 c sour cream

1/2 c salsa

 

Mix sour cream and salsa together.  Refrigerate.

 

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

 

Heat a medium non-stick skillet over medium-high heat.  Swirl in olive oil, heat for 1 minute.  Add in vegetables and spices.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender, about 8 minutes.  Remove from heat.

 

Place 4 tortillas on baking sheet.   Top each with 1/4 of the vegetable mixture and 3 T cheese.  Place remaining tortillas on top. 

 

Lightly spray the top of each tortilla with non-stick spray.  Bake until tortillas are golden and cheese is melted, about 8 minutes.  Cut each quesadilla into 4 pieces.  Serve with sour cream/salsa sauce.

 

These reheat well for lunch or leftovers the next day. 

 

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Risotto

We love risotto around here.  It's such a simple dish and it can be tailored to meet your family's tastes, the seasons and whatever might be lurking in your refrigerator.  Most people steer clear of making risotto because they think it it too hard, time consuming, or high in calories.  It truly is neither.  I can have risotto on the table in about 40 minutes, my kind of weeknight meal.  Serve it with leftover chicken, pork or beef to make leftovers not seem like the same meal again.  This version is a light risotto, with only 243 calories and 4.7 g of fat in a 1/2 cup serving.

Basic Risotto

1 t butter
1 t oil oil
1 medium onion, chopped
6 mushrooms, chopeed
1 1/2 c Arborio rice
1/2 c frozen corn kernels (or other frozen vegetable of your choice)
1/2 c white wine
7 - 8 cups reduced fat, low sodium chicken broth, heated
1/2 t dried thyme (or other spice of your choice)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/4 t rubbed sage

Melt butter and olive oil in a 2 qt saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add onions and mushrooms, saute for 2 - 3 minutes.  Add rice, saute 1 minute.  Stir in corn and wine; reduce heat to medium, and simmer stirring constantly until wine is reduced by half. 

Add 1/2 c hot broth, and cook, stirring constantly until liquid is absorbed.  Repeat procedure with remaining hot broth, 1/2 cup at a time, until rice is tender.  (Total cooking time is about 35 minutes.) 

Stir in thyme and next 3 ingredients, stirring until blended.  Serve immediately.  8 1/2 c servings.

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