BBQ Onion and Gouda Quesadilla

My birthday celebration was a ton of fun and it was yet another reminder of all the amazing people in my life.  I couldn't be more grateful.  Dinner at RPM Italian didn't disappoint.  They brought us a complimentary Prosecco Toast to celebrate Bri's and my engagement, dinner was fantastic, and then they also brought out complimentary gelato to celebrate my birthday.  OH! And, we also so Coach Quenneville from the Chicago Blackhawks eating dinner with his family! It was so cool!

So now it's back to the daily grind.  Last night when I got home, I wanted to make something for dinner, but I didn't want to spend a ton of time on it.  I stopped by the grocery store and they happened to have samples of this spicy 3 Pepper Gouda.  It was creamy with just a bit of a kick and it was super good.  I had also recently seen a recipe for a quesadilla with bbq onions in it so I figured I would combine these two.  I also used these great "healthy" veggie quesadillas.  Put together, this was one amazing quesadilla that is good for you too!

BBQ Onion and Gouda Quesadilla
(makes 4)

Ingredients:
1/2 onion, sliced
1 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
2 tbsp bbq sauce
1/3-1/2 lb of gouda cheese
4 quesadilla tortillas

Directions:
1. In a medium skillet, heat olive oil over medium and add the sliced onions.  Cook until onions soften and start to brown.  This will take a bit of time and you should toss the onions frequently.  Season with salt and pepper and add in the bbq sauce.  Toss to combine.  Turn off heat.
2. Shred the gouda cheese into a bowl and set aside.
3. Heat a large skillet over medium and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Place tortilla in the skillet and sprinkle 1/4 of the cheese over 1/2 of the tortilla.  Top with 1/4 of the onions.  Use a spatula to flip the other half of the tortilla on top and then cook until both sides brown a bit and cheese melts.  Repeat with the rest.

I had mine with some veggies and a wheatberry salad on the side.  Is that healthy or what???

Enjoy :)

Easy Quesadillas

I have a day off of school today due to the extremely cold temperatures!  It is currently -15 degrees where my apartment is and since school is so far north, it is -17 up there!  Jeez!  It is really really cold and so I am planning on staying in, cooking up some comforting Healthy Mac and Cheese, and watching a movie!

I am also going to get an extra head start on more of my schoolwork since I want to be prepared for the next four days as well as the week after.  Finals are coming up and I want to make sure that I am ready with plenty of review activities so that I can help my students be as successful as they can be!

Today, I wanted to share another good "Cold Day" recipe.  It is easy, uses ingredients that you just have lying around, and is delicious.  I love a good clean-out-the-fridge recipe that is also comforting and yummy!

Easy Quesadillas

Ingredients:
medium whole wheat tortillas
light cheddar cheese (or your favorite)
pepperjack (this is the only must-have, it makes them so good)
sliced vegetables (I used red peppers)
avocado, sliced

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium-low heat and spray with non-stick cooking spray.
2. Place tortilla on skillet for a few seconds and then cover half with some cheese, then peppers and avocado slices, and then more cheese.  Take empty half of the tortilla and fold it over to cover the other side.  Let it heat up for about 2-3 minutes and then flip the quesadilla and continue to warm for a few more minutes.  The cheese should melt and the quesadilla should stick together.
Serve with salsa or sour cream if you want!

Enjoy :)

Benny's all set for this crazy cold day :)

Vegetarian Quesidillas

Back to camp! I am starting yet another summer as a site director at a day camp in my home town and I am pretty pumped about it! This week we have camp training and I am excited to see all my counselors and get ready for the summer.  Plus, it will be a nice week of getting back into the swing of things after a great last week at school.  

I have been doing a lot of work for camp, catching up with my friends from home (MNL!!!!) and looking into recipes that I want to make this summer! So far, I have been too tired/lazy to do much, but I promise some great things are on the way!

Bri and I have gotten into making quesadillas and these were really yummy! Quesadillas are a great way to use up leftover veggies or try a new kind of cheese.  Since we are both pretty big fans of both, this was an awesome dinner.  

Vegetarian Quesadillas

Ingredients:

whole wheat tortillas

4 green onions, chopped

1 red pepper, diced

1 avocado, sliced

cheese (we used a mix of pepper-jack and mexican blend)

Directions:
1. Heat a skillet over medium heat and place tortilla in skillet.  Sprinkle cheese on one half of the tortilla and top with the onions, avocado, and peppers.
2.  Let cook until cheese starts to melt, about 3 minutes, then fold over and flip and let cook for another 4 minutes.  Serve with salsa and maybe even some chips or sour cream!
Enjoy :)

Clean out the Kitchen Quesadilla

I hate lunch.  I never know what to eat and I always end up eating a bunch of random snacks instead of an actual lunch.  It's boring and uninspiring and that is why I hate lunch.

This morning I was putting together my lunch for camp training and feeling annoyed at how un-creative I was being.  Then, I had a great idea! We had a bunch of random leftovers in the fridge: fish from fish tacos, grilled veggies, beans, and cheese.  I was going to make a quesadilla!!!

It was crazy good and it made me like lunch a lot more than usual.  I was actually excited to eat lunch when we had our break at training.  This is a great way to use up leftovers, but in a new and creative way.  Plus, it was healthy and I felt good about what I was eating.

Clean out the Kitchen Quesadilla

Ingredients:
2 small corn tortillas
2 tbsp seared fish, shredded (or other form of protein)
1 tbsp black beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp cheese (I used pepper-jack and cheddar)
1/4 cup cooked veggies (I had squash, zucchini, carrots, and red peppers)

Directions:
Lightly grease a small fry pan and place 1 tortilla in the pan over medium-low heat.  Top with the fish, beans, and veggies, and then sprinkle cheese all over the top.  Place the other tortilla on top and, using a spatula, press down to glue everything together with the cheese.  After 2-3 minutes, flip and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes or until everything is hot and the quesadilla is staying together.
Enjoy :)