Dinner Time Crunch

So, I'm aware my posts may seem a bit schizophrenic.  I've done an intro, a bit about one's life purpose and now, not to be outdone, I'm going to talk turkey.  Not turkey, turkey, but close; dinner time tricks. 

No, my name isn't Cybil and I'm not trying to be Deepak Chopra AND Martha Stewart....I'm just undecided, remember? 

Actually, the way I envision this thing rolling is with various tabs or sections.  One about career, one about relationships, one about all things domestic, which will probably be mostly about cooking because its my favorite domestic activity.  And maybe a tab for haikus.  My bestie and I love to text haikus to one another. 5-7-5, that's how we roll, baby!  We're really, really cool as you've probably guessed.....but I digress.  So, for now at least, consider this the "domestics" tab.

My husband travels for work occasionally.  And sometimes he's gone for a few weeks.  So, its just me and Cinderella, womano-a-womano.  And as such, I've come up with some quick, but nutritious dinners.  A lot of my quickies are built around maximizing left overs.  One of my favorites is quesadillas. 

Here's what you need for Quickie Quesadillas:

one non-stick skillet
tortillas
any medley of veggies you'd like
left over chicken or pork
any shredded cheese you like
salsa; optional
one hungry fairy princess

I buy the smaller (I'm guessing 5-6'' in diameter) tortillas.  At my local grocery I find whole grain tortillas that have flax, which are really delicious.....and I'm not just saying they are delicious because they are wholesome and I'm trying to talk myself in to thinking they are yummy because I think I should like them.  They are actually very yummy.  One thing to know about me: I can't talk myself in to eating things that are suppose to be healthy or low calorie/fat because I think I should like them.  I've had the same jar of low fat in my fridge for at least six months.  Its absolutely awful.  Same thing for low fat cream cheese.  No thank you mam. If I'm in the mood for pulverized chalk on a bagel, I'll bust in to Cinderella's side walk chalk and skip counting the calories. barf. 

So back to the main event.  The first thing I do is prep my veggies to be added to the quesadilla. I like to use broccoli (fresh or frozen), onion, sweet pepper (red, orange, yellow) and carrot, but you can really do whatever you want.  I cut the broccoli in small florets.  Otherwise, the quesadilla will be overstuffed and difficult to manage.  I steam the broccoli in a covered and vented microwave-safe bowl in the microwave for a couple of minutes, with just a bit of water.  While those are going, do a quick saute on the onions and peppers.  I spray a non-stick skillet with Pam and add @1/2(ish) tablespoon of olive oil. . More precisely, one glug...I don't measure anything darlings.  I use medium heat throughout the entire process.  When the onion and peppers are softened, remove them from the pan and lay your bottom tortilla in the same skillet. Add one layer of shredded cheese.  I use mild cheddar or colby jack a lot.  Then add shredded or strips of left over chicken or pork.  This is a great way to ensure you don't waste any of the grocery rotisserie chicken you bought a couple of days ago.  Or, the pork tenderloin you made last night.  Top that with your melange of veggies.  This is when I use a carrot peeler to scrape strips of raw carrot on to the top of the veggies.  I love the crunch and sweetness they add.  If you're feeling wild, add a little salsa at this point.  Next, a little more cheese on top of the veggies.  The cheese melts and holds your top tortilla in place.  When your bottom layer of cheese is melted and the bottom tortilla is beginning to brown a bit, flip it over.  If you're using the small tortillas, a large spatula will do the trick.  Or, get crazy and try to flip it in the air like the chefs on The Food Network do.  Why the hell not, right?  Same deal on the other side; cheese melted and tortilla browned a bit.  Voila!  Dinner is served within 15 minutes.  No kidding kids. 

Now for my final trick.  Cut any left over quesadilla (you can always just make an extra like I do) in to cute little triangles and put in a container to be packed in tomorrow's school lunch.  Add an apple and a yogurt to that in the morning and lunch is served.

Enjoy my lovelies.