Classy Quesadilla

Cheesy goodness between two pieces of bread, the adult grilled cheese if you will, who doesn’t love a quesadilla? Usually not the poster child for health, but sometimes they boast redeeming qualities… sometimes. Many menus offer a veggie quesadilla or a side of fresh salsa to make it seem healthy, but usually they still end up greasy, normally filled with meat and cheese, right? That's where the Classy Quesadilla comes in. This recipe transforms this street food into a healthier and yes, classier meal. Maybe you’ll even eat it with a knife and fork (haha).

This recipe goes bold with sautéed mushrooms in red wine.  Anything with wine I automatically consider classy, hence the name. Am I the only one with this notion? Not to mention, I love mushrooms! I could eat plain sautéed mushrooms everyday. I think it may have even been one of the first things I learned to cook as a young adult. Cooking mushrooms as an exercise in patience; you can’t rush the process and an art form; they change color and texture as a result of the medium that is the frying pan.

Then this recipe is topped off with avocado cream sauce. This will change your life and invade your fridge forever.  Don't skip the finale on this dish!

Price: This recipe is 2 out of 4 on my scale. When you take meat out of the equation sometimes you get prices like this one. About $10 before you add the wine… oh the wine. Oops! This might throw out the whole cheap concept! If you have red wine sitting around or the end of a bottle left over from the weekend, this is perfect for sauteing mushrooms. If you aren’t a wine drinker… just sauté in butter and it’ll be ok. You will still get the consistency, but not the same taste. Unless you feel like splurging on a bottle of red wine (this bottle was under $10 to begin with - Dark Horse Red Blend). Or you can get red cooking wine in the grocery store for around $5. Go for it!

Classy Quesadilla Recipe
Ingredients:

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 Onion, chopped

1 tsp. Minced Garlic

½ cup Red Wine (or cooking wine, I used Dark Horse Red Blend)

8 oz Baby Bella Mushrooms

1 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

3 Cups Spinach

1 Cup Cherry Tomatoes, sliced in halves

2 Cups Colby Jack Cheese

Avocado Cream

2 Avocados

½ cup Sour Cream

2 Tbsp. Lime Juice

½ tsp. Salt

Directions:

Makes 4 – 5 quesadillas

In skillet add chopped onions and 2 Tbsb. butter and garlic. Saute on medium-low heat for 15-20 minutes. Remove from pan. In same skillet, mushrooms, wine, 1 Tbsp. butter, lemon juice and vinegar on medium high heat. Once the mixture bubbles turn down to medium-low. Let simmer for 15-20 minutes. (you can speed up the recipe by cooking the onions and mushrooms in separate pans at the same time). Once mushrooms have reduced, add spinach, until it softens, about 5 minutes. Then add onions and tomatoes to the mix. Stir and keep on heat no more than 5 more minutes. Place Tortilla in a small pan on medium heat to toast and add mushroom mixture on top, then add cheese and another tortilla on top, to sandwich together. Wait 1-2 minutes and flip and cook on the other side for 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat and use a pizza slicer to cut into 4 pieces. Top with avocado cream and serve.

Avocado cream directions – In medium bowl combine all ingredients and mix with whisk until avocados are smashed and smooth. You can also use a mixer to stir.