Crispy Quesadilla with Spinach, Black Bean, and Tomato

This was a super quick lunch I made about a week ago. Basically, I assembled the quesadilla  in the following order: corn tortilla, cheddar, spinach, black bean, tomato, cheddar, corn tortilla.

This looks like Pac Man...

Instead of trying to flip this bad boy in the pan, I actually put both tortillas in the pan (just sprayed them with cooking spray first) on high heat. I piled the layers on to one, and just cheddar onto the other. After the tortillas started to crisp up, I put the loaded one on a plate, and topped it with the other. The melty cheese acted as glue, and the veggies got just warm enough to get tender. I garnished it will my favorite-- some Greek yogurt. The crispy texture of the tortillas was really good, though they were difficult to eat without making a mess. Luckily this meal was just for me, and not part of a date night :)


**oh, I remember this not being bland, so I'm pretty sure I had some cayenne or chili powder sprinkled on the black beans....

pumpkin soup

Not only is Pumpkin Soup one of my favorite Kate Nash songs, but it is one of my favorite dinners as well. The original incarnation of this was a pretty basic spicy pumpkin black bean soup recipe I saw on Rachel Ray's website, with a ton of garnishes and condiments to serve on top. The soup turned out okay, but the next day, the leftovers (with all of the garnishes and toppings mixed in) were a beautiful marriage of flavors and textures. Since then, this new version of the soup has been a go-to dish every fall and winter. It's not exactly spring-y, but I had exactly one can of pumpkin left in my cupboard and felt inspired!

Drastcally adapted from Rachel Ray--
1 medium sized onion (yellow or white), chopped
1 TBSP olive oil
1 chipotle pepper (canned, in Adobo sauce)
1 TBSP cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 (Mexican, preferably) beer
1 can pumpkin
1 can chicken/vegetable stock
1 can black beans, drained
1 apple, peeled and diced
1/4 cup (or so) roughly chopped cilantro plus more for garnish
1/4 cup diced red onion, divided
sour cream for garnish
salt and pepper to taste

Sautee chopped onion in olive oil until translucent. Add in one chipotle pepper (diced) and one teaspoon of Adobo sauce from can. This pepper has a lot of punch so start with one, and if you like spice you can always add more. Sautee for 3-5 minutes. Pour in the beer and simmer until reduced by half. Add in spices, pumpkin, broth, and black beans. Stir and cook over medium heat. Immediately before serving, add in apple, cilantro, and about half of the red onion (adding these at the last second keeps incredible texture). Serve garnished with sour cream, cilantro, and red onion. Tortilla chips also make a good garnish.

at least I enjoyed it!

This soup is flavorful, healthful, extremely filling, and delicious!

I made it Friday night, and sadly Tim didn't like it. But bless his heart, he tried it. Little by little I'm working on him to be an adventurous eater. Everyone else who has tried the soup has enjoyed it, especially people who like a little spice.