Quesadilla Night!

So I brought the "babies" to the library last week.  The oldest had her book club meeting and the 2 littles and I  were hanging out chatting it up with one of my librarian friends, Seana.  We always talk about our two favorite things, our children and food.  She lived in Italy for quite some time and let me tell you she is one of my favorite people to talk food with!  So it being a Tuesday and usually my craziest day of the week she asked what we were having for dinner...thankfully I had planned ahead early and had made guacamole...so I could bust out Quesadilla's later!  Let me explain a few things...the first baby (she's almost 10) won't eat Mexican unless there is guacamole.  The middle baby (she's 8) won't eat Mexican without sour cream.  The actual baby (FINE!  She's 5!!!) most times eats them plain or with a bit of sour cream.  Quite frankly, I don't care how they eat them...just that they eat what's put in front of them!

Here's what you need for the Guacamole:

• 5 Haas Avocado's
• 1-2 limes (4 Tblsp. juice) and zest of 1
• 1/4 cup Cilantro
• 1/2 pint Grape Tomatoes (quartered)
• 1/2-1 Jalapeno, finely diced
• 1 small onion (1/3 cup), diced

I start by halving the avocado and then cubing it while it's still in it's "shell"...

Then scoop the fruit out with a spoon...

With the other half take your knife and remove the pit...just chop and twist and it will come right out.

Be careful and use your thumb to "pop" the pit right off the knife...

I try to remove the avocado into the bowl rather quickly so I can add the lime and it doesn't oxidize.  As soon as you're done, squeeze that citrus into the bowl.

I cut my jalapeno length wise first...it's a wee bit blurry but you get the point.  ;-)

Then dice it fine...and yes, that's me with gloves on.  I have gotten "burned" by the pepper before and I NEVER want it to happen again.  Ever.

Chop the rest of the veg and add it...it will take a few minutes to do but, it will be so worth it.  You can make the guacamole earlier in the day and let it sit or not...it's delicious either way.

Here's what you need for the Quesadilla's:

• Whole Wheat Tortillas (I get the big package at Costco)
• Mexican Cheese
• 1 large Onion, chopped
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Chili Powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 large Sweet Potato, grated
• 1 can rinsed Black Beans
• Salt and Pepper
• 3 large Tblsps of Cilantro...hell just make it 4 Tblsps and then it's just 1/4 cup!

I always start with onion, saute it in some olive oil until it's pretty.  You know what that looks like.  Salt.  Pepper.  Garlic.  Chili Pepper.  Cumin.  It's heavenly.

Add in those sweet, Sweet Potatoes and let them cook down a bit.

Once they are cooked down and caramelized, about 15 minutes, add in the black beans and cilantro.  They don't need to cook, just warm through a bit.

Now let me confess...I love some specialized cooking units...a bread machine, a panini press, an ice cream maker.  My most prized possession is the Quesadilla maker.  I got it from Target, $20.

I always spray the plates with a non-stick spray then lay the tortilla down with a little bit of cheese.

Then some of the filling...

And then some more cheese before the top tortilla.  The cheese acts like a sort of glue so your dinner doesn't fall apart before it hits your face.  It's one of the perfect foods of the world.  ;-)

The little ladies and I like ours with a bit of crunch and color to them...

Like I said before, I always need the guac and the sour cream for everyone to be happy.  I sometimes have a rice salad or a green salad to go along with this meal.  If it's summer time and corn season then grilled corn on the cob is always on deck.  A light side dish is perfect for this meal either way. 

Bon Appetit...it's time to eat!