I haven’t posted a recipe in a while, since I’ve been crafting like a madwoman.  But I made these quesadillas the other night, and they were good, so I thought I’d share.

Back before we had kids, I used to make this recipe all the time called Snappy Spinach Packets.  It’s from an old Vegetarian Times magazine; I clipped the recipe probably fifteen years ago and its in my little collection.  It was a staple for a long time, and then it kind of fell out of the rotation.  I tried making it a few times a year or so ago, but the kids balked.

I wanted to try again, so this time I adapted it by turning it into a quesadilla.  The original recipe calls for wrapping the filling up in a tortilla and sautéing it, so it really wasn’t a stretch to simply use two tortillas with the filling in between.  And the kids LOVED them.  I didn’t tell them they had turned their noses up at basically the exact same thing.

The great part about this meal, too, is that it gives you lots of veggies, black beans, and a whole grain all in one.

main ingredients: cheese, black beans, tomatoes, spinach

Snappy Spinach Quesadillas

adapted from Vegetarian Times

• 1 lb. baby spinach, well rinsed
• 1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 oz. Monterey Jack cheese, grated
• 1 cup diced tomatoes, seeds removed
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper
• 8 whole wheat tortillas
• vegetable oil

In a large pot, place the spinach and 1/2″ of water. Cover and steam over high heat, stirring until wilted, about 4 to 5 minutes. Drain the spinach in a colander, rinse under cold water and squeeze out as much liquid as possible. Coarsely chop the spinach.

In a large bowl, combine spinach, beans, cheese, tomatoes, salt, and pepper.

Heat a skillet over medium-low heat. On one tortilla, place approximately 1/4 of the spinach mixture, or enough to evenly spread a layer over the tortilla. Top with another tortilla.  Add a small amount of oil to the pan, swirling to coat, and carefully lay the quesadilla in the pan. Cook, turning once, until each side is golden brown, about 5 minutes total. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

Cut into triangles and serve warm.

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