Help The Students Event: Day 15

Hi Zesty Cook readers! I’m Jessica and blog over at How Sweet It is, which is a blend of my passion for food and fitness. Quick, easy and economical meals are a must in our house since my husband and I both work full time jobs. The last thing we want to do in the evening is slave over a hot stove for hours. I also have a slight shoe obsession and prefer to spend my hard-earned money on fancy footwear. Below is one of the go-to meals we eat and enjoy every week!

We have a bit of a quesadilla obsession in our house. Luckily for us, they are easy and quick to put together, as well as economical!

Any given week we have one or two different versions of quesadillas. It is pertinent to switch things up so my taste buds and I don’t get bored. Most of the quesadillas contain some form of meat so Mr. How Sweet doesn’t throw a temper tantrum. But they don’t need the meat. Some of my favorites contain just fruit and cheese!

Not only are they simple and quick, they are easy to make healthy. Use whole wheat tortillas, low-fat cheese, lean meats, fruit and veggies. It doesn’t get much better than that!

The BBQ chicken quesadilla is probably my favorite variety. It is a nice compromise for Mr. How Sweet and me – he gets chicken, and I get sweet onions and oooey, gooey cheese. If you want to simplify things further, you can leave out the caramelized onions and use whatever cheese you please. Same goes for any quesadilla you may come across. Include ingredients you may not normally use – make it fun and make it yours.

Here is how simple the quesadillas are to make: all you need is a skillet and your ingredients. Heat the skillet on medium heat, throw the ingredients inside, fold the tortilla in half and let it warm through. If you don’t have a stove, you can simply use the microwave. See? Quick and painless.

Zesty  Tip: Add a bit of cheese to BOTH sides of the quesadilla to act as “glue” and hold your ingredients in place.

Here are some of our favorite combos

BBQ Chicken Includes: chicken, bbq sauce, caramelized onions and cheese.

Chili Mango Chicken Includes: chicken, mango, cheese

Dessert Quesadillas Includes: chocolate, peanut butter, honey

Crab & Avocado Quesadillas Includes: crab, bacon, avocado, cheese

Roasted Veggie & Goat Cheese Includes: roasted veggies of choice, goat cheese

Simple Cheesy Chicken Quesadillas Includes: chicken, cheese, beans, peppers

What a cool post!  Thanks so much Jessica.  Quesadillas are such a fun way to pack different flavors time and time again .  You did a fantastic job.  There has been a slight hiccup in the photos from the Chowder Competition – so I will have to delay it until tomorrow hopefully!  Thanks for your patience.  We will talk tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

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Hello from Charleston, West Virginia.  Yesterday was a busy day in Mississippi and right after the client meetings I drove back from Tupelo to Birmingham Alabama to fly out of this morning.  The flight times just worked out a little better from Birmingham than Memphis. Right after the client meetings we decided to take a quick drive down the road to Elvis’ old house where he grew up and visit there for a few minutes.  Very fun and I even picked up a couple of souvenirs.

I am dying to share this recipe with you since last Thursday, not because it is stellar and earth shattering but simply due to the fact that it tasted amazing and was super easy to prepare.  I really love quesadillas and have featured a couple of my favorites in the past:  Super Simple Stunning Quesadillas and  Chicken Asparagus Pesto Quesadillas.

This recipe is up there with flavor and simplicity.

Ingredients

• Bbq Chicken
• Whole Wheat Tortilla
• Red peppers
• Basil
• Monterrey Jack and Cheddar cheese (shredded)
• Bacon
• Mushrooms

Method

1. Cook off bbq chicken, bacon and mushrooms and set aside.  ( you can use left overs if you have them as well )













2. Line up the tortilla and start assembling the filling



3. Add all the ingredients and finish with a good layer of cheese on the top to help the top tortilla to stick.





4. Grill over medium heat – moving as needed to achieve a nice golden brown color.  Gently press on the outside of the quesadilla to force the edges to connect from the cheese.
5. Flip over and repeat the process.
6. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: If using mushrooms in quesadillas, I feel it is crucial to cook them down to remove the water from the mushrooms.  Otherwise they will make your tortilla soggy and cause it not to crisp.

I am hanging here in Charleston for a couple of days so let me know if you guys know of good places to eat here and I will be sure to check them out.  Have a superb Wednesday and I will talk to you back at home on Friday.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty

Oh Yum!  I was walking around the grocery store picking up some much needed supplies last week and I noticed that asparagus was on sale.  I do enjoy asparagus but I do not buy it very often due to the high price.  However after buying this vegetable treat,  I had to come up with a fun recipe to use the asparagus plus I had made another batch of homemade basil pesto ( which I love ).  I took some chicken breasts out of the freezer and my mind was set - Chicken Asparagus Pesto Quesadilla!  It’s a mouthful in more ways than one.  The flavor combination with this dish was simply amazing.

Quesadillas are so quick and easy to make and offer a lot of options for picky eaters as well.  You can dress them up or down according to your taste.

Ingredients

• 2 Whole Wheat Tortillas
• 1/2 Cup Cooked Chicken
• 3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto
• Asparagus ( trim tips )
• Mozzarella and Monterey Jack Cheese

Method

1. Warm pesto and chicken in a sauce pan until heated through.



2. Add asparagus and continue cooking for 4 minutes over medium heat.



3. Remove filling from pan, add tortilla to the dry pan and then add the filling on top of the tortilla.



4. Top with cheese and remaining tortilla.
5. Flip after 1 minute until crisp.
6. Top with sour cream.



7. ENJOY!

Zesty Tip: When cooking with pesto, I tend not to add additional oil to the pan as there is enough oil in the pesto.  This will prevent the dish from getting saturated with oil and also ensure it tastes fresh.

If you love quesadillas and asparagus  – I totally suggest you try this dish.  Have a fabulous day and see you tomorrow.

Take care

zesty

Download my Free Recipe Book: Simply Zesty