Spinach Quesadillas

Some people are members of Team Sweet and some are Team Savory when it comes to what they usually choose for breakfast. I solidly fall into the savory camp: give me an egg dish or a burrito and I am as satisfied as Elvis after a peanut butter, banana and bacon sandwich. Sweet breakfasts are fine once in a while, but I tend to be hungry soon after I eat that tasty sweet delicacy and a sweet, carb-filled spiral ensues. The rest of the day is a battle.

Eggs are my go-to breakfast, so I was happy that new research finds that eating eggs doesn't significantly raise cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, those yolks add calories so I might scramble one egg and two whites and never know the difference. Add some other tasty ingredients and you have a pretty healthy breakfast that stays with you for the entire morning.

I've been on a Spinach Quesadilla kick lately, so here's the recipe. I like these either for breakfast or for lunch, or a snack, or pretty much whenever.

Spinach Quesadillas (Serves 2 or one who is hungry)

Ingredients:

1 egg and 2 whites
1 T milk
salt and pepper to taste
butter or oil for the pan, just a little
2 T chopped onion
2 handsful of baby spinach
ham or bacon (optional)
1/4 cup or more of your favorite shredded cheese
2 tortillas, flour or whole grain
salsa or hot sauce

Directions:

1. Use your fork to beat one egg and two whites in a bowl. Add a tablespoon milk and a little salt and pepper. Set the bowl aside.

2. Heat a nonstick pan and add a little olive oil or butter. Swirl it around and add 2 tablespoons chopped onion. Saute until the onion is tender, about two or three minutes. Reach into your bag of baby spinach and throw a couple handfuls into the pan. Cook just until the spinach is barely wilted. Remove the spinach and onion mixture from the pan and set it aside.

Below are some of the cast of characters for this recipe. Note there is no cheese in the bag. I used it on the quesadilla. Not all of it, really!

3. Scramble the eggs in the spinach pan until they are cooked the way you like them. If you have some ham or bacon you can add some bits to your eggs to totally negate any healthy ideas you might have had.

4. On the top of the stove, heat a griddle or frying pan and lay a tortilla on it. I used some whole grain tortillas from Trader Joe's. They had a texture like cardboard but good flavor. Sprinkle two tablespoons shredded cheese on the tortilla. Layer your scrambled eggs over the cheese, and the spinach mixture over the eggs. Top with another couple tablespoons of shredded cheese and top with the other tortilla. I won't tell if you add more cheese, promise!

Here's my quesadilla without the top tortilla. I might have customized this one a bit with some salsa and some chopped bits of ham. That's the beauty of a spinach quesadilla!

5. Heat your quesadilla for a few minutes on each side until the cheese melts and all is warm. Take care when you flip this guy because the eggs might fall out! This is where our human ingenuity takes place. I used a plate to flip it over and slide it back on the griddle from the plate.

6. Cut into wedges, add your favorite salsa or hot sauce and feel healthy and decadent all in one bite!

We are thinking about the Nickel and Dime Ranch and hope it's raining.

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