eat your veggies

zesty zucchini quesadilla

The zucchini shreds and peppers in these quesadillas become soft and then blend right into the gooey cheese. Whether you enjoy vegetables or try to avoid them, this dish wraps the greens in a very appealing (and tasty!) package.

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts
2 tbsp olive oil
1 zucchini, shredded
1/2 red or yellow bell pepper, finely chopped (I used green pepper and it worked fine.)
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 c fresh cilantro
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 large tomato, seeded and chopped
juice of one lime (2-4 tbsp)
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp hot-pepper sauce (optional)
4 8-inch tortillas
2 c shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add zucchini, bell pepper, onion, garlic, and cumin. Cook for 5 minutes, or until all the vegetables are soft. Stir in the cilantro, salt, and black pepper. Set aside.

In a small bowl, combine the tomato, lime juice, chili powder, and hot-pepper sauce, if using.

Spread one-fourth of the zucchini mixture evenly over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle each with 1 1/2 tsp pine nuts and one-fourth of the cheese. Fold the tortillas in half.

Wipe out the skillet and cook the quesadillas over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes, turning once, until the cheese is melted. Cut the quesadillas into wedges and top with a generous amount of the tomato mixture and some plain yogurt/sour cream.

recipe from Simply Organic by Jesse Ziff Cool