Is it even possible to make 16 different varieties of guacamole? I guess it must be...
I haven't posted anything in a while, so I think Friday's dinner is the perfect opportunity to start up again.
Sometimes we go out for drinks with friends after we've already had our dinner at home. However, on Friday we went out for drinks first, and then came home famished. While not normally recommended, doing it this way can make things a little more interesting.
I was just about to start cooking dinner when Corey called to suggest going out with some of his friends from work. We went to a small waterfront bar nearby that had somehow evaded us for the past year we've lived here. It was a fun time, with VERY cheap drinks and a short elderly man named Mudslide Walter directing the karaoke. Once we got home, I wasn't so in the mood for cooking anymore. Luckily I had planned a simple dinner anyway, and we were eating in less time than it would have taken to get a pizza delivered.
I should mention that I don't think Corey had been appreciating my cooking as much as usual the past few days. On Monday, I was going to make a vegetarian dish, until I realized I didn't have the time required to roast the squash I was going to use in the dish. So, I decided to use up some stuff I had on hand instead, and made breakfast for dinner. I made an egg scramble with feta & baby spinach, with roasted potatoes and bacon. For me it was very good and a nice change of pace, and I think Corey didn't mind it, although I was told that usually when he's had breakfast for dinner it has been french toast.
The next night, Tuesday, ended up being meatless Monday rescheduled, and I made butternut squash & corn enchiladas, and a rice dish with all sorts of things in it like avocado, cilantro, lime, etc etc. This one Corey was not so happy with, but you know, you win some... Good thing I liked it, because there were leftovers. Vegetarian main dishes are usually not well received around here unless there are eggplant, sauce and pasta involved. Sometimes I make complicated dishes that require a lot of time and ingredients, and are appreciated more by some than others.
Which brings me to the 16 guacamoles and 5 frogs....
Corey loved these quesadillas so much. He actually said, and I quote: "These are so good, and you didn't use 16 guacamoles and 5 frogs." I think he was as surprised to hear it as I was. I really only make guacamole one way, and I've definitely never cooked frogs before (although I have eaten them, and they do taste like chicken). Anyway, I guess he just liked them because they were simple, and we're still laughing about it around here. They were delicious, and also reasonably healthy, with spinach and mushrooms, and not a ton of cheese.
I had never actually made quesadillas before. I had bought the tortillas the other day, and by accident bought the larger size, instead of the smaller ones used for fajitas, and so I decided to try quesadillas.
Sorry I have no photo, but as I said, we did have some drinks before, and we were starving. But I will be making these again definitely. Before Corey left for work this morning, he asked if we're having quesadillas for dinner haha. (No, we're having roast chicken.)
Ingredients:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Cooking spray
1T oil (such as grapeseed or canola)
1 large onion, chopped
8oz button mushrooms, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1t ground cumin
1t chili powder
1t dried oregano
2C baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/2t salt
1/4t fresh ground black pepper
6 (10-inch) flour tortillas
Shredded monterey jack cheese, cheddar, or a mix
Salsa
Low fat sour cream
Preparation:
First, cook the chicken:
1. Heat a small nonstick pan over medium heat.
2. Place the chicken in pan and cook until well browned on both sides and just cooked through.
3. Remove and cut into small 1/2 inch pieces or shred.
While the chicken is cooking, prepare the rest of the ingredients for the filling:
1. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet (I used my anodized) over a medium heat.
2. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom water is evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder and oregano and stir until all spices are incorporated.
5. Add spinach, salt and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.
Next, assemble the quesadillas and cook them:
1. Lay 1 tortilla on a flat work surface and sprinkle with about 1/4C shredded cheese.
2. Spoon some of the chicken and vegetable mixture on top of cheese, around 1/2C, then top with an additional 1/4C cheese and another flour tortilla.
4. Using the same large nonstick skillet, spray it with cooking spray and place over medium heat.
5. Carefully place 1 quesadilla in the pan and cook 3 minutes, until lightly browned.
6. Using a large spatula, gently flip quesadilla and cook an additional 3 minutes until lightly browned and cheese is melted.
7. Repeat with remaining 2 quesadillas.
8. Slice each quesadilla into quarters, and serve with salsa and sour cream.
I was originally going to make a side dish of sauteed black beans, bell peppers and red onion to go with this. Since we got home late I nixed it and used the peppers and onion I had already cut up with this morning's eggs.
Recipe adapted from foodnetwork.com
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