Not spicy but still delicious

Spicy Vegetable Quesadillas
Favorite Brand Name Mexican Copyright 2003

1 small zucchini, chopped
½ cup chopped green bell pepper
½ cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon ground cumin
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas I used Mission multi-grain tortilla wraps
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese I used a blend of odds-and-ends 50% Light Cheddar, regular cheddar and American
½ cup chopped fresh cilantro I omitted this

1. Spray large nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Heat over medium heat until hot. Add zucchini, pepper, onion, garlic, chili powder and cumin; cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Remove vegetables and set aside; wipe skillet clean.
2. Spoon vegetable mixture evenly over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each evenly with cheese and cilantro. (I like to stir the shredded cheese right into my quesadilla filling for even cheesiness.) Fold each tortilla in half.
3. Spray same skillet with cooking spray. Add tortillas and heat 1 to 2 minutes per side over medium heat or until lightly browned. I used my GF grill. Cut into thirds before serving. I cut them in half - I'm a rebel.
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These quesadillas weren't spicy but I loved them anyway. These could easily be spiced up adding a bit of chopped jalapeños, using a spicier chili powder or substituting pepper jack for the cheddar cheese. I would definitely increase the heat and spice next time because I think that would play off the sweetness of the vegetables very well.

I freestyled chicken quesadillas along side this for my husband and I thought I might resort to eating a chicken one too if these veggie quesadillas weren't satisfying but they were very satisfying.

This is my contribution to Sweetnick's ARF/5-A-Day Tuesdays. I think everything in this recipe except the regular cheese that I blended with the low-fat cheese is on the list of the World's Healthiest Foods. And I only added the regular cheese to stretch out my cheese since I forgot I used half of the Cabot 50% Light Cheddar on a pizza a few days ago.

Anyone (in the U.S.) who hasn't jumped in can still enter the cookbook giveaway. We still have almost 2 weeks until the drawing.

A Blast From The Past: Ham and Cheese Enchiladas from October 2005. I've made these enchiladas several times since then, taking liberties and still getting great results. I use any color of bell peppers and if I don't have green onions I use sweet onions. I throw in jalapeños if I have them. I use any whatever appropriate cheese I have on hand. It's a brunch dish but I make it for dinner. The leftovers are great for breakfast.

Question of the Day: How spicy do you like your food? (I almost asked 'How spicy do you like it?' but that might open the door for inappropriate comments!)