Apricot Salsa Quesadillas

So I came home from school early today, and it was lunch time plus I’d woken up at 6 to write some super scary biology essay about antibiotic resistant bacteria (Jeez you guys, superbugs are cray. Promise me you won’t misuse or overuse antibiotics, ‘kay?) so I was insanely hungry.

Now usually, for lunch I go for something with eggs because I want some protein to hold me over for the next few hours, but today I really wasn’t feeling it. That’s when I spied some mini tortillas in the fridge.

I was initially going to make some kind of flat bread type thing. Like chop up some basil and tomatoes and throw it on there with cheese, then shove it under the grill. Then I realised if I just put some bell pepper in there, it would start getting Mexicany, and a memory of quesadillas (from like 2 years ago, literally.) popped into my head and I decided to go with it.

I’d never made a quesadilla before this.

I’d never read a quesadilla recipe (not that I can remember anyway)

I don’t even think if I’ve even pinned a picture of a quesadilla (which also made styling this kind of a shot in the dark)

and only ever had them a handful of times, but I just remember them being TOTALLY ACE and that was enough to make me want one right then + there.

I just went with the flow of things, using the basic flavour profile that I imagine they had: tomatoes, bell pepper, Mexican spices, onion and some lime juice (I was considering adding apple cider vinegar, but spied the half lime on the counter and thought it was more appropriate).

Then

another memory came up.

You know how Whole Foods is like a food sample Mecca? Yeah, well one time, they had this pineapple salsa sample that was utterly fab (great story Izy..great story..).

We didn’t have pineapple

buttttt

we did have fresh apricots! The acidity/sweetness of which I think of as kind of similar to pineapple. SO IN IT WENT.

Cheese was a must, of course

so that got sprinkled onto the tortilla that I dry fried in the skillet

and thus, I made a quesadilla.

So this is why, when you read this recipe, it’s probably not anywhere like a traditional quesadilla (I mean, I’ve googled them now, and… I cooked the salsa.. :/ soo… ).

and I’m sorry if that harms your quesadilla loving hearts (seriously, the instagram of this was basically as popular as my chocolate chip cookie one, so I now think of everyone as quesadilla lovers) but I literally don’t care because it was so good that I think all quesadillas from now on should contain fruity, cooked salsa.

(p.s. If you did see the instagram picture of it, I HOPE YOU LIKED THE PUN. I laughed at it for about 10 minutes. Alone.)

(p.p.s the chocolate chip cookie recipe is also coming this week)

Notes

- Instead of using an apricot, try out other fruits like 1/2 a peach, 1/4 cup diced strawberries or 1/4 cup diced pineapple, orrrr you can leave the fruit out.
- I served my quesadilla with sour cream and some chopped cilantro + basil + some lime zest
- You can totally add cayenne, tabasco, sriracha or chili pepper to the cooked salsa
- Okay, I’ve made the name plural ‘Quesadillas’ but this makes one quesadilla, but it’s pretty simple to just double the recipe and make multiples if you want.

Print

Apricot Salsa Quesadillas

2-3 tomatoes (depending on size)

1 fresh apricot, de-stoned (see notes)

1/2 green bell pepper

1 shallot

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

juice and zest of 1/2 a lime

3 tbsp grated Red Leicester or Cheddar Cheese (or some other cheese)

2 small tortillas

Peel, halve and finely slice the shallot.

Roughly chop up the tomatoes, bell pepper and apricot together to make a salsa.

Fry this in a small skillet with a little oil, along with the sliced shallot, cinnamon, paprika, lime zest and juice. Cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes, until the shallot is slightly translucent.

If you're going to use this skillet to heat the tortilla, then remove the vegetable mixture to a plate and set aside, then clean and dry the skillet. Or, if you're just going to use a different skillet, just set the veg mixture aside.

Either way, heat a clean, dry skillet and place one tortilla into it. Sprinkle the cheese over the surface of the tortilla and heat on medium-low until the cheese melts and the underside of the tortilla is golden-brown. Quickly spoon the vegetable mixture over the cheesy tortilla, top with the second tortilla and carefully flip the whole thing over using a spatula. Cook until the underside of this second tortilla is golden brown.

Remove from the skillet and cut into wedges.

I haven’t done too much today. I’ve been working on making an advent calendar (Bobby’s never had one) and it’s taking longer than expected. I want to start reading a new book, but I don’t have anything around that I’ve been able to get into.

Instead of reading, I decided to try a twist on the bread that I’ve made a few times – I added oatmeal! I used half oatmeal, half flour, but it would work with all flour as well.

Whole Wheat Oatmeal Bread Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 package active dry yeast
• 1/4 cup hot water
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon white sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 5 teaspoons melted butter
• 2.5 – 3 cups of whole wheat flour/oatmeal mix
• Corn starch or nonstick cooking spray

Directions

1. Prepare the yeast: heat up the water (about 120F – as hot as you can touch) and mix with the yeast until there are no lumps. Add 1 teaspoon of honey, mix, and let sit for a minute or two.
2. Add the butter, milk, sugar, and salt to the yeast mixture. Mix gently until the color is consistent.
3. Add two cups of flour/oatmeal mix and stir with a spoon. Add more flour/oatmeal until the dough is dry enough that it leaves a little bit of flour on the sides of the bowl.
4. Put some flour between your hands and rub them over a clean area of the counter. This is for kneading.
5. Knead the dough for 10 minutes. Squeeze it back and forth between your hands and mash it on the floured counter. Shape into a ball.
6. Spray the inside of a bowl with nonstick cooking spray or dust with corn starch. Place the ball of dough inside, put a towel overtop, and keep in a warm place (near a lamp or on the warming area of a stove both work well) for about an hour. The dough should rise.
7. Take the dough and punch/shape it into a rectangular, then roll it up – it should be about the size and shape of a bread pan. This is easily done in the same area that you did the kneading; you may even want to dust some more flour on the ball before you start shaping.
8. Put the dough back in the bowl (or in a bread pan coated with cooking spray), cover with a towel again, and return to the warming area for another hour.
9. Preheat the oven to 400F. Bake the roll in the bread pan or on a baking sheet sprayed with the cooking spray for 30 minutes. Remove from pan to cool.
10. Enjoy!

This whole wheat oatmeal bread is delicious warm, straight from the oven, with a pat of butter. It also goes well with the apple dip I posted earlier. You can store the loaf in a Ziploc bag to preserve freshness. Be sure to put it in the fridge after a day or so – otherwise it will get moldy. Whole wheat bread goes moldy quickly because it has a lot of nutrients, which mold likes. Mold can tell the difference between homemade and processed, unlike people.

Be creative – you can use different flours and add flavors (cinnamon, raisins, dates, etc…) to fit the occasion.

Here is an excellent website for a kneading description: Kneading e-How.

While I was letting the dough rise, I made some strawberry-banana jello with chopped orange pieces. I also cleaned up the mess I’d made in the kitchen.

In Italy, Le Pescerie (Fish Shops) are only open in the morning. We’ve been wanting to make fish, but haven’t been able to get up early enough.

Instead, tonight I made my very own version of Italian ratatouille (currently Bobby’s favorite Disney movie). This dish is filling enough to be the main course, and it’s loaded with nutrients. I used tomatoes, zucchini, and radicchio, but some people use eggplant instead of radicchio. I taught myself how to make ratatouille through trial and error. The key is to have equal parts of each vegetable.

Bobby and both had seconds and we finished it up (probably could have eaten more); as an appetizer you could probably feed three with this recipe.

Italian Ratatouille Recipe | How to Make Ratatouille

Ingredients (for 2 main dish servings or 3 appetizers)

• 3 tomatoes
• 1 zucchini
• 1 smallish radicchio
• Several garlic cloves, finely chopped OR a bit of finely chopped onion
• Salt & pepper
• Oregano
• Olive oil (optional)
• Grated parmesan cheese (optional)

Directions

1. Roughly chop the vegetables. I halved the zucchini, then sliced it.
2. Make layers in a large pot – the order doesn’t particularly matter, but I like to start with the tomatoes. After the first layer of tomatoes, sprinkle some salt, pepper, and oregano, as well as some of the garlic cloves OR onion. Make another layer of radicchio, add more salt, pepper, oregano, and onion. Repeat for the zucchini. Then continue with more tomatoes. I was able to have two layers of each veggie.
3. Add about 2 cups of water.
4. Heat on very low heat for about 1.5 hours.
5. Serve in bowls – you may want to let it cool for 5 – 10 minutes; it gets quite hot.
6. Sprinkle with olive oil OR grated cheese (optional).

Bobby liked this Italian ratatouille with olive oil and I liked it with parmesan cheese.

This is a dinner salad; it’s not intended to be dessert… But feel free to eat it for whatever course you think it’s right. I bought a big crate of strawberries at Marina on Sunday, and I needed a salad to use them in. I also had oranges, and a daikon radish. The result is this… And it’s pretty darn good if I say so myself. I used fresh lemons and the effect is really incredible.

This probably serves 6 people – it’s a pretty big batch.

Strawberry Salad

Ingredients
dressing
zest of 2 lemons
juice of 2 lemons
2 garlic cloves, crushed and minced
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped chives
2 teaspoons sugar
salad
1 pint fresh strawberries, sliced
2 oranges
1/2 cup sliced daikon radish
3 scallions, sliced
1 teaspoon sugar
salt and pepper, to taste
1 head of leaf lettuce, roughly chopped

Directions
1. For the dressing: Zest the lemons. Soak the zest in hot water for 2-3 minutes. Mix together the lemon juice, garlic, vinegar, chives, and sugar. Drain the zest and mix that in too.
2. Mix together the strawberries, oranges, radish, and scallions. Add the sugar, salt, and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. Add half of the lettuce and all of the dressing. Mix well. Then add the rest of the lettuce and mix again.
3. Serve with fresh toasted whole wheat bread.

This is a superb summer salad and perfect for a barbecue. Grill up some veggie burgers and teriyaki tofu and you’ll have yourself a picnic.

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• 1 April, 2008 -- Monday’s menu

Lunch Idea

• Tuna salad with whole wheat bread
• Sliced green apple

Simple tuna salad recipe (makes 2 servings):

• 1 can of tuna
• 1/2 carrot, shredded
• 1/2 small bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup full fat Greek yogurt
• lemon juice
• mustard
• salt & pepper

It was really good.  You can mix up the measurements to make it how you like it.  I like mine with lots of veggies.  Celery would have been perfect but I didn’t have any!

Snack Idea

• “Lentil Pea Chips” (link has nutritional info) that we got at 99 Ranch (Chinese grocery store).  Bobby picked them up on our last trip and they ended up being a good find!  The brand is called “Dandy’s Brand” if you’re interested. The whole bag has just 2.75 servings total – it’s a huge bag but the chips are very light.

Dinner Idea

• Egg white stirfry with organic ketchup: broccoli, okra, egg whites (1 cup), cabbage, salsa, onion, and a cucumber (random).  I used a bit of sesame oil too.

Dessert Idea

• Full-fat TJ’s Greek yogurt (a little less than a cup)
• Raisins (almost 1/2 cup?)

 I’ve been digging the sandwiches lately. Nature’s Pride (I keep wanting to call them Nature’s Path, but that is a different company that was kind enough to send me goodies!)sent me a bunch of bread the other week and I’ve been dutifully eating it up. (I say “dutifully” as though it’s a chore; it is not! I love this bread.)

I discovered this fantastic lunch sandwich that is filling and probably the most delicious sandwich I have ever eaten. It is so simple and yum:

• whole wheat bun (ideally from Nature’s Pride)
• 1 laughing cow spreadable swiss cheese
• tomato slices
• lots of lettuce

I have had 6 of them I think and I am still not sick of the combo! I only have one more whole wheat bun left and that’s for tomorrow (Bobby had one of the 8 original buns for a PB sammy but then I told him to eat the white buns since I don’t like those as much and he has been polishing those off instead).

The other thing I have been making white the big rolly buns is my breakfast. I spread a bun with peanut butter and top it with coconut flakes.

How can you not love this? I make breakfast and lunch at the same time (in the morning before work), then I take my breakfast over to the couch and savor it before I leave for work. This big white poofy carb is the perfect brain food to get me through the day. I do love white carbs sometimes. Totally necessary.

Exercise of the day (free again): Exercise TV’s 6-Round Slimdown with Stephanie Vitorino. It’s a 40-minute strength/cardio/abs workout consisting of 6 5-minute rounds that each incorporate strength, cardio, and abs. You do need weights, which I don’t have. You’re also supposed to have a medicine ball, but I used a circular glass candle holder thing and it worked for me. I got pretty sweaty and I was only slightly terrified that I would hurt myself the the candle holder. The only odd thing is that some “5-minute” rounds are 3 minutes; others are 6-7 minutes. But it didn’t bug me.

Baked Oatmeal

After reading about so many people making baked oatmeal, I thought I should try it. I have oatmeal for nearly every breakfast, and there are so many different ways to prepare it. I want to try as many different options as I can. This recipe is inspired by Kath, but I’ve made a lot of changes and I’ve also veganized it.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients
2 cups old fashioned oats
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1 cup soymilk
1/2 cup applesauce
other sweetener – sugar, honey, etc… (optional)
1 banana, sliced
brown sugar for sprinkling (optional)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375F.
2. Mix together the oats, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and sweetener, if using. Add the water, soymilk, and applesauce. Mix well.
3. Spray two 8-inch round baking tins with nonstick cooking spray, or line them with parchment paper. Pour half of the oats mixture into each. Top with sliced bananas.

4. Bake at 375F for 30 minutes. If you want to add some sweetness, sprinkle some brown sugar on top of the oatmeal and turn it to broil for the last 5 minutes.
5. Eat! These are great with peanut butter, margarine, syrup, agave nectar, soy yogurt, or fresh fruit. You can cut them up and freeze them for a quick breakfast.

Nutrition info – for 4 servings: 208 calories, 5 grams fiber, 7.5 grams protein
Nutrition info – for 6 servings: 138 calories, 3.3 grams fiber, 5 grams protein

Drizzled with raw honey (this stuff is amazing, got it @ Safeway):

Salad

I was reminded today when looking at old comments that I used to love Sadie Nardini’s yoga routines. I just went through this one. I had to modify a decent amount due to being 7+ months pregnant (30 weeks on Tuesday) but it was great. I haven’t been making it to the gym for yoga (or anything really – I am quitting the gym but that is another story) so it was great to be back on the mat.

Little guy, which is what I call him in lieu of his proper name, which is in fact decided, but not publicly announced, goes quiet when I exercise but then wakes up and gets excited afterwards. He’s punching around right now. Probably telling me I should be putting that T-bone steak on the stove instead of blogging.

I’ve spent the last few weekends doing housework – final touches on the downstairs renovations and fixing up things I have meant to fix for months but never got around to it. I think this is what they call “nesting”.

Work has been good. I revisited this post from nearly 4 years ago where I talked about my thoughts on ranking the following: family, friendship, love, health, and career. Back then I ranked them: love, family, health, friends, and then career.

Today I think I rank this differently. I’m torn. All of them are important but my priorities have certainly shifted. I would do: family, health, career, love, and friends. My career has become so much more important to me over the last year or so. Love is obviously important, but how can you differentiate between love and family? My loveis my family. And we are expanding it. Health may not seem so important now, because I am young and healthy, but I don’t want to think I took this time for granted. How do you rank them?

I should leave you with a bump picture but I don’t have one since last time. Instead I will leave you with this photo of dinner the other night. Souen will be hard to get to with a newborn in tow so we are trying to get in all our favorites before April 1.

And this is avocado toast, a new obsession for both me and Bobby. We have it for breakfast constantly. Simply mash avocado with salt, pepper, and lime juice. Spread it on freshly toasted bread and top with an egg (fried or scrambled – scrambled is actually our fave!). If you’re extra hungry or pregnant, multiply by 2. Devour.

What have you been thinking lately? Or eating lately?

Coffee

Over the past 10 years, research has shown that coffee doesn’t necessarily cause dehydration, but a new study has found that a cup of Joe may actually keep us hydrated just as well as water does.

In the study, participants drank about 27 ounces of coffee per day for three days in a row. (For reference, a Starbucks Venti is 20 ounces, a Grande is 16, and a Tall is 12.) Then they drank the same amount of water for three consecutive days. Controlling for physical activity and food and fluid intake, the researchers compared a wide range of hydration markers (body weight, total amount of water in the body, kidney function, urine volume, and blood values) and found no significant difference in subjects’ hydration status when they were drinking coffee versus water. Although the study population is small and specific — 50 adult men who were habitual coffee-drinkers and were told not to exercise during the study — its findings echo similar previously-collected data regarding the relationship between caffeine consumption and hydration.

A 2002 review of 10 different studies concluded that even when consumed in larger amounts caffeine caused no detrimental effects on hydration status or even athletic performance. A few years later, in 2005, researchers found that consuming small amounts of caffeine did not impact hydration status.

Considering coffee’s hydrating qualities, not to mention its ability to increase metabolism, enhance memory, and lower risk of death, I think I’ll make my next cup bottomless.

Will this news impact your daily coffee consuming habits?

Save Money Using Slow Cooker!

We all want to eat healthier, but planning, shopping, and prepping wholesome meals gets old really fast. Who has the time and money to buy pricey (but oh-so-healthy) ingredients and cook a full meal every night? That’s where our old friend theCrock-Pot comes in. These magic machines can whip up a healthy meal while you’re out and about and turn nearly any combination of ingredients into a delicious, comforting dish. Plus, making slow cooker meals a few times a week can help you save money in a myriad of ways. Keep reading to learn our favorite tips, tricks, strategies, and recipes that will turn the Crock-Pot into your best-kept budgeting tool.

1. Purchase cheaper cuts of meat.
There’s no need to splurge on extra-tender (and extra-pricey) filet mignon when using a slow cooker. The slightly tougher, rougher, and “less desirable” (and therefore cheaper) cuts of meat are perfect for slow cookers since the hours-long, low-temperature cooking technique softens them right up. Want to give it a shot? Try this Rancher’s Roast Beef, Honey Barbeque Brisket, or Salsa Chicken Thighs.

2. Cook meals in bulk.Bulk is best when it comes to saving money at the grocery store. Keep an eye out for sales and get ready to go all “Supermarket Sweep” when there’s a deal on your favorite ingredients. When you arrive home with 10 pounds of chicken thighs (or a few pounds of potatoes, rice, chickpeas, etc.) don’t freak out! Turn on the Crock-Pot and whip up a few batches of your favorite meals. When they’re fully cooked, store in Tupperware containers (or storage bags) in the freezer or fridge, and you’ll have loads of lunches and dozens of dinners at your fingertips.

3. Fill up on legumes and beans.
Since they often require fewer resources to produce, vegetarian proteins tend to be cheaper (and more environmentally-friendly) than meat or fish. Crockpots are ideal for whipping up a big batch of bean stew, lentils, or quinoa. Plus, the long cooking time makes it easy to achieve tons of great flavor without adding pricey meat. Pro tip: If you can’t shake the craving for meat at dinner, add a few chunks of bacon or even aham hock to deepen the dish’s flavor. A few of our favorites? Vegan Curried Lentils,Chipotle Black Bean Soup, and Lentil Sweet Potato Soup.

4. Master meal planning.
Prepping dinner in the morning means that you have to plan ahead. But it also means that there will be fewer pricey last-minute purchases, wasted ingredients rotting in the fridge before they’re used up, and unnecessary dollars spent at the grocery store overall. On the weekend, make a list of ingredients you need for a week’s worth of make-ahead meals — that way, when you go to the store, you’ll have an action plan at the ready. 

5. Think outside the box.
Yes, slow cookers are amazing for stews, chilis, and other hearty wintery meals. But they’re good for so much more than soup. You can even use them to make oatmeal: Prep everything at night, plug in the machine, and wake up to a healthy, filling, and super-cheap breakfast for the whole family. It’s also possible to make inexpensiveeveryday staples like rice, tomato sauce, yogurt, and baked potatoes (among many, many other foods) in the slow cooker. Here are a few of our favorite slow cooker staples: Vanilla Cinnamon Spice Quinoa, Slow Cooker Baked Potatoes, Slow Cooker Roasted Veggies.                         

6. Buy larger pieces of meat.
While at the butcher counter picking up meat, consider buying larger cuts of meat. For example, opt for a whole chicken rather than chicken breasts, a rib roast over strip steak, or a pork shoulder instead of chops. Buying a big chunk of meat is smart for a number of reasons: it’s typically cheaper pound-for-pound than buying smaller cuts, you’ll have enough to use for multiple recipes (or at least a super-big batch of one recipe), and if the cut of meat comes bone-in, the bone itself can be used to flavor homemade stock, stretching that one purchase over even more meals (and making each recipe cheaper overall). Ready to buy big? Try this simple Roast Chicken,Balsamic-Honey Pulled Pork, or Sweet and Spicy Ribs.

7. Manage your time.
Nobody wants to work long hours and then come home to a cold kitchen. Prep the slow cooker in the morning, turn it on, and get psyched for a hot dinner waiting for you at the end of the day. Saving time at night means you can go to bed earlier, which means you’ll be more alert and productive for work in the morning. It’s a win-win solution! De-stress your days even more by investing in a smartphone-controlled Crock-Pot (which will be available spring 2014) so you can monitor your meal from miles away.

8. Use dry beans rather than canned. 
Slow cookers are ideal for dried beans — just soak them overnight in water, drain in the morning, add other ingredients, and flip the on switch. In general, dried beanstend to be less expensive than the canned variety, too. (Plus they definitely incorporate fewer preservatives and added ingredients, especially sodium.) Get started with Lighter Red Beans and Rice, Cuban Black Beans, or Slow Cooker White Beans.

9. Make pantry soup.
Ever read the classic folk tale Stone Soup? We won’t go into details, but the moral of the story is that it’s possible to make a tasty meal from just a few ingredients. A slow cooker is ideal for combining flavors and making just about anything into stew (plenty of low, slow heat can basically turn even an old, rock-hard leather shoe into a delicious, tender meal). Save precious dollars by foregoing the grocery store. Instead, peruse your cabinets, freezer, fridge, and pantry collecting ingredients for a mish-mash soup. Got grains? Toss ‘em in! An old Parmesan rind? Add it! Frozen ground beef? Put it in the pot. Here are a few easy recipes that could probably come together with ingredients in your pantry right now: Spicy Chicken Soup, Pantry Vegetable and Pasta Soup, Stone Soup.

10. Save on the energy bill.
Slow cookers actually use less energy than the stovetop or oven. Saving at the grocery store is fine and dandy, but shaving dollars off the energy bill is a truly impressive feat.

11. Make your own stock.
This “Little House on the Prairie” kitchen hack is so much easier than you think, especially when there’s a slow cooker involved. For veggie stock, collect the week’s veggie scraps (nothing rotten or slimy, please) in a plastic bag stored in the fridge. When the bag is full, dump them in the slow cooker, add enough water to cover the scraps, turn the machine on the “low” setting, and go about your business for about 10 hours. Strain the liquid through a mesh sieve and put it into containers in the refrigerator. For chicken stock, save the carcass and bones from a roast chicken, put them in the slow cooker with some vegetables, top with water, and cook on low for 10 hours. You can season both varieties with salt and pepper, spices, and herbs to add extra flavor. (This also works with fish or beef bones, too!). Get stocky with these easy recipes: Vegetable Stock, Chicken Stock, Beef Stock.

12. Resist the take-out menu.
Regardless of your favorite Crock-Pot strategy, using a slow cooker can help you resist the siren song of ordering take-out. If you love to prep meals in bulk, knowing that there’s always something tasty in the fridge or freezer makes that overpriced lo mein look much less appealing. If you’re more happy-go-lucky, just load up the slow cooker and turn it on before heading out for a super-busy day. Knowing dinner’s already taken care of will make that last-minute Chinese takeout unnecessary.

13. Cut down on dishwashing expenses.
The slow cooker is ideal for those who lack a dishwasher or the energy to wash a sink load of pots and pans right after dinner. Since most Crock-Pot recipes are one-pot meals, there are significantly fewer dishes to clean at the end of a meal. With just one large pot to wash, you’ll use less water, less soap, and less electricity (if you’re lucky enough to own a dishwasher).