Tengo Una Cita Con Quesadilla!
July 18th 2009 03:56
Hola amigos!
Sorry. Couldn't resist starting a post about Mexican food with some Spanish. I'm going to be pulling out all that I remember from one year of the language in high school (which I left soon after to pursue Latin instead, something far less useful, but far more interesting). Lucky for you, all I remember is Hola amigos and "Tengo Una Cita Con Anita" which translates to "I have a date with Anita," something that has never been useful to me and probably never will, as I never intend to have a date with Anita (no offense to you Anitas out there, I just tend to not have dates with all members of the female gender, regardless of name). So now that I've exhausted all remaining knowledge of one whole year in Spanish class, I'll move on to what is really the only and most important part of this post. Food.
So you know that quesadilla that's just calling your name at Taco Bell? The temptation's so strong that you decide to go ahead and put on your shoes and head to the drive-through at 11 pm. You can't help it. You see the commercials and just HAVE to have that cheesy, melty, spicy quesadilla. And without a second thought, you've arrived at the fast food joint, shelling out the how-many-ever bucks for a meal filled with fat and calories.
Yep. That quesadilla. So how about this? Instead of paying someone to help clog your arteries or add to your waistline, take a little time out of your day to make your own quesadilla. Not only is it far healthier than the fast-food joint version, but it tastes better too. And you can make it to fit your own taste buds by adding whatever vegetables/meat combos you want. It's completely customizable. Sound good? Awesome. Then get to cooking with this recipe!
Chicken Quesadillas
1 bonless skinless Smart Chicken breast, cooked and sliced
2 tortillas (I use La Tortilla Low-Carb, Low-Fat Whole Wheat tortillas)
¼ cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
2 slices Kraft 2% Swiss cheese slices
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
In a small bowl, combine shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Microwave for about 30 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Set aside for now.
In a frying pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute sliced peppers and onions over medium-high heat until tender. Remove from heat.
Spray pan once more with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the bottom of the pan and spread half the sour cream and cheese mixture over half the tortilla. Place half sauteed veggies and chicken over sauce. Top with Swiss cheese slices, torn into smaller pieces and spread out. Let cook for about 1 minute. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the toppings. Allow to cook until cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Remove from heat and cut into four pieces. Serve with salsa and fat free sour cream. Serves two.
This was just the combination of meats and veggies I used. Feel free to switch out ground beef, shrimp, steak, or ground turkey for the chicken, any combination of vegetables your heart desires, and your favorite cheeses (pepperjack is a good choice, too). Mix and match to come up with different flavorings.
So next time you're craving Mexican food, instead of getting into your car and indulging in a quesadilla laden with fat, carbs, calories, and God knows what else, why not give this a shot? You can eat the same size quesadilla for about 1/3 the calories and 1/8 the fat. Seriously? Seriously. How can you even consider the alternative after hearing that?
Sorry. Couldn't resist starting a post about Mexican food with some Spanish. I'm going to be pulling out all that I remember from one year of the language in high school (which I left soon after to pursue Latin instead, something far less useful, but far more interesting). Lucky for you, all I remember is Hola amigos and "Tengo Una Cita Con Anita" which translates to "I have a date with Anita," something that has never been useful to me and probably never will, as I never intend to have a date with Anita (no offense to you Anitas out there, I just tend to not have dates with all members of the female gender, regardless of name). So now that I've exhausted all remaining knowledge of one whole year in Spanish class, I'll move on to what is really the only and most important part of this post. Food.
Yep. That quesadilla. So how about this? Instead of paying someone to help clog your arteries or add to your waistline, take a little time out of your day to make your own quesadilla. Not only is it far healthier than the fast-food joint version, but it tastes better too. And you can make it to fit your own taste buds by adding whatever vegetables/meat combos you want. It's completely customizable. Sound good? Awesome. Then get to cooking with this recipe!
Chicken Quesadillas
2 tortillas (I use La Tortilla Low-Carb, Low-Fat Whole Wheat tortillas)
¼ cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons fat free sour cream
1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
2 slices Kraft 2% Swiss cheese slices
1 large green bell pepper, sliced
1 large white onion, sliced
In a small bowl, combine shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, and taco seasoning. Microwave for about 30 seconds, or until cheese is melted. Set aside for now.
In a frying pan sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, saute sliced peppers and onions over medium-high heat until tender. Remove from heat.
Spray pan once more with nonstick spray. Place tortilla in the bottom of the pan and spread half the sour cream and cheese mixture over half the tortilla. Place half sauteed veggies and chicken over sauce. Top with Swiss cheese slices, torn into smaller pieces and spread out. Let cook for about 1 minute. Fold the other half of the tortilla over the toppings. Allow to cook until cheese has melted. Repeat with remaining ingredients.
Remove from heat and cut into four pieces. Serve with salsa and fat free sour cream. Serves two.
This was just the combination of meats and veggies I used. Feel free to switch out ground beef, shrimp, steak, or ground turkey for the chicken, any combination of vegetables your heart desires, and your favorite cheeses (pepperjack is a good choice, too). Mix and match to come up with different flavorings.
So next time you're craving Mexican food, instead of getting into your car and indulging in a quesadilla laden with fat, carbs, calories, and God knows what else, why not give this a shot? You can eat the same size quesadilla for about 1/3 the calories and 1/8 the fat. Seriously? Seriously. How can you even consider the alternative after hearing that?
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Comment by Lara M
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