Lentil Quesadillas
As you know, I love scouring the internet for new recipes, and am always interested in incorporating more vegetables into my diet. I recently was introduced to Pinch of Yum, a vibrant food site full of inspiring recipes that are drool-worthy. My eye caught a lentil quesadilla recipe and I decided to tweak and adapt. In my non-New-Years-resolution soliloquy, I stated that I would like to eat more veggies, so this seemed like a nice fit. Feel free to use any lentil preparation you like (I drafted a loose recipe below), and add whatever vegetables of your choosing (I used the Mexican-style street corn from Trader Joe’s), but I think spinach could be an excellent addition.
These quesadillas are filling and full of healthy protein and fiber. Quesadillas can be pretty versatile and are true crowd pleasers - go crazy with any filling that floats your boat. Hopefully, you won’t miss the meat with this rendition - I love having the lentils take center stage here - it really works. But now that I write that, I do need to make a note to make skirt steak quesadillas soon…
Lentil Quesadillas
Serves two
2 whole wheat tortillas
1 cup of quick-batch lentils (or any sort of prepped lentils you prefer)
2 slices of cheese (I did a mix of cheddar and pepper jack)
1/2 cup chopped veggies (I used Trader Joe’s frozen Mexican-style street corn)
olive oil
condiments of your pleasing, such as sriracha mayo, magic green sauce (I’m obsessed), a sprinkling of adobe chili sauce
slice of lime
Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Place tortilla in skillet and assemble with cheese, lentils, and veggie on one side of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and cook for two minutes. Flip folded tortilla and cook another two minutes or until tortilla starts to brown. Top with your favorite condiments and finish with a squeeze of lemon. Enjoy!
Quick Batch Lentils
Yields 1 cup
olive oil
1/2 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 yellow pepper, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 cup dried red lentils
2 cups chicken broth
pinch of herbs (chervil, cumin, turmeric)
salt
pepper
Place a small pot over medium heat. Once pot has started to heat up, add olive oil. When oil is hot, but not bubbling, add the onion to pot and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and stir for about a minute. Add carrots and peppers and allow to sweat. Once vegetables are a bit tender, add tomato paste, and stir. Then add lentils and broth. Bring to a boil, and then simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally for about 15-20 or until the liquid has been absorbed. Season with salt and pepper, and herbs of your liking.
