Baked Mushroom and Zucchini Quesadillas with Cool Cilantro Lime Pesto

There is hardly a bad time for quesadillas.  They can be the all-so-necessary in-between daytime snack, or a satisfying dinner.   Typically, you’re only option is cheese.   This is where the record starts skipping.   Sure it’s simple, but you can only enjoy processed cheese for so long.  If you are lucky, maybe you will also get some chicken thrown in there too.   But do not fret!  As the greenery in the produce section diversifies and multiplies, now is the time to add vegetables to everything – even your quesadillas.  Turn the record over; we’ve got a new song to play.

For this particular batch of quesadillas I chose portabella mushrooms for their meaty taste.  Zucchini was more of a frugally driven choice.  Besides corn, it’s one of the cheapest items in produce during the summer.   Carrots or bell peppers have potential as well.  

What really sets these quesadillas apart is the cilantro lime pesto.  I know I have been on a pesto kick recently, but for good reason.  No hassle, great taste.  It’s like buying quality products for half price!  This pesto – which I served cold – gave great contrast to the taste and texture.  So if you find yourself stalling out on plain old cheese quesadillas, there is hope.  Just add pesto, and presto!  You have yourself an old tune with a new twist. 

Cilantro Lime Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

Zest of one lime

Juice of one lime

Salt

Enough olive oil to reach desired texture

Instructions:

1.       In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients.  Blend until you have reached desired consistency. 

Makes about ¾ cup.

Mushroom and Zucchini Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, sliced

2 cups portabella mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 ½ cups Monterey, Cheddar, or Mexican blend cheese, shredded

4-6 whole wheat tortillas (depending on how you portion)

Optional: Sour cream or salsa

Instructions:

1.       Heat a frying pan over medium heat, until you can feel heat.  Add 2 T olive oil.

2.       Add in zucchini and mushrooms (may have to add mushrooms first, then zucchini if space does not allow both – just don’t crowd the vegetables!) Sautee for about 5-7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not soft.  Remove from pan.  Keep pan warm if you wish to fry your quesadilla and not bake it.

3.       Spread pesto on tortilla (or if you want to keep the pesto cold, skip this). 

4.       Layer vegetables and cheese on tortilla.  Either fry or bake your quesadilla (I did mine in the toaster oven).

5.       If you have not added the pesto, add it now.  Slice the tortilla in quarters.  Serve with sour cream salsa, more cheese, etc.

Swiss Chard, Cannellini Beans, and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

They call it a “Valedictorian Vegetable”.  While Swiss chard is not the secret to a stellar GPA, it is a smart vegetable pick.  Though uncommon to most kitchens, especially in college, it should not be overlooked.  Swiss chard is a standout on taste and appearance.  This leafy green should receive kudos for not only being an excellent source of fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals, but also coming in a rainbow assortment of colors: red, yellow, green, and purple. 

I met Swiss chard on a blind date at the grocery.  I knew its background, I knew what dishes it was often involved in, and what nutrients it could provide me, so it came down to looks.  I figured it would be just another leafy green on the long produce aisle.  Turns out, it looks like the love child of spinach and celery, with punk-rock flair.  This particular Swiss chard had a brilliant red stem running down the middle and red veins bulging through the wavy, fan-like, dark green leaves.  Quite the “looker”, I must say.    

 Back at home, I had originally planned to discard the stems because they looked tough and fibrous.  However, once boiled, they turned out to be delicate and added a pleasant root taste to the dish.  The leaves appeared sturdier than spinach, but after blanching, they took on the buttery smoothness of wilted greens, with a bold, earthy taste all its own. 

 Adding creamy Cannellini beans and fire-roasted tomatoes made this a hearty dish.  It was stew-like, without the typical time commitment.  It was hearty, warm, and will satisfy your craving for earthy stews all in about 30 minutes, prep included.  A well-deserved meal for a chilly autumn night.  

 Swiss Chard, Cannellini Beans, and Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

 Ingredients:

1 lb Swiss chard (could substitute spinach or kale), stems ¼ inch slices, leaves roughly chopped

2 T olive oil

½ onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (15 oz) canned diced tomatoes (I used Muir Glenn Fire Roasted)

1 (15 oz) can of cannellini beans, or other white bean, drained

½ tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp salt

3-4 Sprigs of thyme and rosemary (or a pinch of dried)

Instructions:

1.       In a medium sized pot, boil about 3-4 cups water and season with about 2 tsp salt.   Bring water to a boil over high heat.  Once water is boiling, add the Swiss chard stems to the water and boil for about 3-4 minutes.  Then add the leaves and continue boiling for another 3-4 minutes.  Strain the chard in a colander, trying to drain off as much liquid as possible. 

2.       Meanwhile, heat up a large skillet over medium heat.  Once hot, add olive oil. 

3.       Then add onion and garlic.  Sautee for about 5 minutes over medium heat, until onions are translucent.  Be careful not to burn garlic.

4.       Add in canned tomatoes (with their liquid) and cannellini beans (drained).

5.       Season with red pepper flake, oregano, salt, thyme, and rosemary.   Let stew for about 8-10 minutes.

6.       Remove any sprigs/stems from the herbs.  Add Swiss chard.  Mix until heated through. 

Serve along with rolls or bread.

Chickpea and Green Bean Succotash

 Back in the dorms it’s the first day of classes; summer is dead.  We have swapped beach balls for ball point pens, sun screen for laptop screens.  Yet summer can live on in our meals, at least for a couple more weeks.   Tired of the stuffy classrooms, I wanted dinner to be bursting with sunshine vegetables like sweet corn and green beans.  Not feeling overly creative – I am still allowed a warming up period, right? – I decided to make a different version of succotash.  Of course, corn is the golden star of this dish, but instead of lima beans I chose chickpeas, and added green beans.   To season it, I used fresh herbs for that ‘just picked’ pop of flavor.  While I do prefer fresh over dried, the dankness of my dorm room isn’t conducive to plant growth (mold on the other hand…), so I’ll end up using dried by October, don’t worry.

 After the cooking was complete, I heaped spoonfuls of the sweet, buttery corn, chickpeas, and green beans onto my plate.  The hearty qualities of this vegetarian side dish will fool you into thinking it is a slow cooked meal.  The rosemary and thyme give it a fragrant scent and savory taste, and the butter adds a velvety texture.    A perfect meal to bridge the gap between summer and the fall semester…now let’s hope I can transition as well into my class work…

Chickpea and Green Bean Succotash

Ingredients:

3 T butter, divided

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

3 ears of corn (or about 1 ½ cups frozen corn)

2 cups fresh green beans

1 can garbanzo beans, do not drain

1 tsp fresh rosemary, chopped

1 tsp fresh thyme, chopped

1 tsp fresh basil, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1.       In a medium sized pot, bring about 3 cups of water to a boil. 

2.       Blanch green beans in boiling water, about 3-5 minutes.  Drain and rinse with cold water.

3.       Meanwhile, in a large sauté pan, melt 1 T butter over medium high heat. 

4.       Quickly cook garlic until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.

5.       Remove pan from heat. 

6.       In the pan, position cob upright.  Using the pan to catch the corn kernels, take a large knife and slice straight down the side of the cob (do not make deep cuts, only enough to remove the kernels; think parallel slide).    

7.       Add remaining 2 T butter and cook corn for about 5-6 minutes over medium heat, stirring occasionally. 

8.       Add in green beans, garbanzo beans (plus reserved liquid), and herbs; reduce heat to medium low.

9.       Cook until liquid has been absorbed and vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 7-10 minutes.   

Serve warm.  Makes about 3 cups.  Great with cornbread muffins. 

Pork Stew with Fennel and Butternut Squash

Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow?  When cooking, fresh is best in my book.  Thus, I am wary of recipes that “can be made a day ahead”.  If I want it tomorrow, I made it tomorrow.  Stew happens to be an exception to this rule.  I believe that stews, like beer, are not made but brewed.   They require hours on the stove over a low, consistent heat.  Those involved in the academic world might relate to stews because of our shared interest in mulling.  For me, studying requires an insistent, yet not exhaustive effort.   I need to steadily pour over material before I understand it.  It’s not a “heat-and-eat” method.   So as I considered and chewed on my upcoming work this week, a stew empathetically mulled along with me.  Ah stew, a perfect study buddy (that you can devour at the end). 

Chide me if you will that stews are out of season; but the season of spring is arguably still not upon us. So, haters gonna hate, but this hearty meal will last for days, and will sufficiently fill and satisfy even the most insatiably hungry dinner accomplice. 

After hours of cycling between the oven and the stovetop, I had a stew that literally fell apart, in a good way.  Like a pioneer woman, I hauled a cauldron-looking cast iron pot from the depths of dark oven.  I lifted the top, revealing the savory sustenance within.  The pork shoulder took on an almost beefy flavor, so tender it called for only the most delicate chewing.  The autumn-colored butternut squash provided tasty filler, and the fennel gave the necessary crunch of texture.  Scents of dry, aged red wine and tomatoes filled my lungs with culinary gusto and warmth.  I let the stew cool and thicken on the stove, then put it in the fridge overnight.  The next evening, I slowly reheated it and served it all over egg noodles to make the stew go further.  I devoured spoonful after spoonful.  The flavors had time to further mingle together, creating a stew sauce with the perfect balance.  Starved for a good meal after a weekend of studying, I burnt the roof of my mouth at least three times while eating it – totally worth it.  

It tasted just like “home”.  Not necessarily of any home in particular, just that embrace of familiarity and smile of satisfaction you get when you feel “at home”.  It’s the closest thing to a hug from your dinner that you can get.   

Recipe adapted from Bon Appetit 2004.

Pork Stew with Fennel and Butternut Squash

Ingredients:

3 lbs pork shoulder (Boston Butt), cut into 2 inch pieces

2 tsp salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp dry rubbed sage

1 tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ground ginger

3 T olive oil

2 cups onions, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes in juice

2 cups low-salt chicken broth

1 cup dry red wine

1 large fennel bulb; fronds chopped and reserved for garnish, bulbs cut into 1-inch cubes

1 small butternut squash, cut into 1 ½ inch cubes

Instructions:

1.       Place pork in large mixing bowl.  Mix next 6 ingredients in small bowl, then sprinkle over pork (make sure it coats it evenly).  Let stand at least 30 minutes. 

2.       Preheat oven to 350˚.

3.       Heat oil in large cast-iron or oven-proof pot over medium-high heat.

4.       Add half of the pork to pot; sauté until brown, about 8 minutes.

5.       Remove browned pork, place on plate or bowl.  Repeat steps 4 & 5 with remaining pork. 

6.       Add onions and garlic to pot; sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. 

7.       Add tomatoes with juices, broth, wine and pork mixture.  Bring to boil and scrape up any browned bits.  Return pork to the pot.

8.       Cover pot, place in oven.  Cook stew 1 hour.

9.       Add fennel bulbs and squash cubes to stew.  Cover and cook in oven until pork and vegetables are tender, about 1 hour.

10.   Using slotted spoon, transfer meat and vegetables to large bowl; cover.

11.   Boil sauce over medium-high heat until thickened enough to coat spoon, about 15-20 minutes.

12.   Return meat and vegetables to sauce; season with salt and pepper. 

(Can be made 1 day ahead.  Cool for 30 minutes.  Refrigerate until ready to use.  Rewarm over low heat.)

Hungry-Girl-Empty-Wallet Vegetable Soup

Living on your own, independently is chalk full of everything; like this vegetable soup I was making yesterday. In the end both are ‘good for you’, but can you guess which one is tastier right off the bat? When hunger is inversely proportionate to your bank account it can be a very bleak dinner outlook indeed. With empty pockets, I attempted to make an empty pantry a bountiful boon for soup. I put to use some dusty mason jars of canned summer vegetables and some cheap staples like potatoes and onions. The best part was that for all the money saved, I didn’t have to skimp on flavor.

Popping the lid of some miscellaneous Campbell’s soup may have been easier, but this homemade soup was healthier, chunkier and above all, more satisfying. The light, pleasant juiciness of the fresh canned vegetables reminded me of sitting in the middle of a garden, and sopping up the last traces of the soup with a slice of French bread kept my belly full. I emboldened the soup with chicken broth and contemplated adding pasta for a minestrone twist. It could even go nice with a bowl of rice or couscous. Basically, what you have here is a great basis from which to grow.

Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

3 small potatoes, diced, not peeled

2 T olive oil

1 onion, chopped

3 stalks celery, chopped

3 carrots, chopped

1 clove of garlic, minced

6 button mushrooms, chopped

1 small can fresh canned green beans, aged

1 small can fresh canned tomatoes, aged

About 2 cups chicken or vegetable broth

Instructions:

1. In medium sized pot, boil water. Add potatoes; boil for about 7-10 min. Drain.

2. Heat oil in large pot over medium high heat. Add onions, celery, carrots. Cook for 5-7 min.

3. Add garlic and mushrooms; continue cooking for about 3 more min.

4. Add in the canned vegetables and chicken broth, bring to a boil.

5. Cover and cook for about 30 min, or until liquid has reduced.

6. Eat!