Easy dinner recipes: Meatless Monday quesadillas in 30 minutes or less - Los Angeles Times
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Easy dinner recipes: Meatless Monday quesadillas in 30 minutes or less

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Dinner doesn’t get much better -- or simpler -- than quesadillas. Melt some cheese over a warm tortilla, add an extra filling or two, and you’re good to go.

Quesadillas stuffed with greens and feta: In this variation, tortillas are stuffed with quickly cooked greens and chunks of feta and mozzarella, the tortillas warmed until lightly browned and the cheese oozes just slightly. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day.

consider flank steaks with fresh chimichurri sauce. The sauce -- a little garlic, red wine vinegar, oil, fresh herbs and a touch of lemon juice -- comes together in almost no time, and those steaks will grill up in minutes. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/06/dinner-tonight-grilled-flank-steaks-chimichurri-sauce.html#sthash.hTvQknwx.dpuf
Huitlacoche quesadillas: Huitlacoche, also known as corn fungus or corn “smut,” may not sound like your first choice for quesadilla filling, but it lends a definite earthy richness to the quesadillas, and a robustness similar to truffles to the finished dish.

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QUICK & EASY: 99 terrific recipes in about an hour or less

Quesadillas stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese: For a wonderfully rich, meaty tasting filling, try adding sauteed mushrooms cooked with shallots and butter and a touch of mint. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day.

For a wonderfully rich, meaty filling, try adding sauteed mushrooms cooked with shallots and butter and a touch of mint. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/dinner-tonight-mushroom-quesadillas.html#sthash.3mOy8zs5.dpuf
For a wonderfully rich, meaty filling, try adding sauteed mushrooms cooked with shallots and butter and a touch of mint. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/dinner-tonight-mushroom-quesadillas.html#sthash.3mOy8zs5.dpuf
For a wonderfully rich, meaty filling, try adding sauteed mushrooms cooked with shallots and butter and a touch of mint. The recipe comes together in minutes, perfect after a long day. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/dinner-tonight-mushroom-quesadillas.html#sthash.3mOy8zs5.dpu
You can find all of the recipes below.

And for more ideas, click through our easy dinner recipes gallery and check out our Dinner Tonight page, devoted to recipes that can be made in an hour or less. Looking for a particular type of recipe? Comment below or email me at [email protected].

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RECIPES: 99 easy dinner ideas in about an hour or less
Quesadillas stuffed with greens and feta

Total time: 30 minute

Servings: 4 to 6

Oil

1/3 cup minced onion

1 pound mixed cooking greens, such as kale, mustards and collards

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

2 teaspoons minced garlic

1 cup diced feta cheese

12 corn tortillas

1/4 pound low-moisture mozzarella, cut in small dice

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet. Add the onion and cook until it softens and begins to color, 3 to 5 minutes.

2. While the onion is cooking, rinse the greens in a colander but don’t dry them. When the onion is ready, add the greens along with any water that clings to the leaves to the skillet. Season with salt and red pepper, sprinkle with garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the greens are quite tender, about 15 minutes.

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3. Remove from the heat and stir in the feta.

4. Heat 2 teaspoons oil on a griddle over medium heat; use a spatula to distribute it so the surface is evenly covered. If you don’t have a large griddle, you can use a skillet, but you’ll have to cook the quesadillas in more than one batch. Add the tortillas and cook on one side until they have softened, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip them to the other side and spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the greens in the center. Sprinkle over some of the diced mozzarella and use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half around the filling.

5. Cook until the tortilla begins to brown on one side, 2 to 3 minutes, and then flip onto the other side and cook until the tortilla browns on that side and the mozzarella is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes more. If some of the melting cheese oozes onto the griddle, that’s even better. Repeat if necessary to use up all the tortillas and filling.

6. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 250-degree oven until all the quesadillas have been made.

Each of 6 servings: 311 calories; 13 grams protein; 32 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams fiber; 16 grams fat; 7 grams saturated fat; 37 mg. cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 840 mg. sodium.

Huitlacoche quesadillas

Total time: 25 minutes

Servings: 4

Note: Huitlacoche can be found at select Latin markets; call ahead to make sure. It is also available online.

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1 tablespoon oil

1/4 onion, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

2 serrano peppers, minced

1 (7-ounce) can of huitlacoche

6 to 8 (6- to 7-inch) corn tortillas

1 (12-ounce) package Oaxaca cheese, sliced

1. In a medium skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat until hot. Add the onions, garlic and minced peppers and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions are softened, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in the huitlacoche and heat until it begins to bubble, stirring frequently, then remove from heat and set aside.

2. Assemble the quesadillas: Heat a tortilla on the stovetop (this can be done directly on the stovetop or using a comal, or griddle pan). Add sliced cheese to one-half of the tortilla, and when it has melted, add a scoop of the huitlacoche mixture. Fold the tortilla over and hold in a warm place until all the quesadillas have been assembled. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Serve immediately.

Each serving: 455 calories; 25 grams protein; 22 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams fiber; 31 grams fat; 17 grams saturated fat; 76 mg cholesterol; 2 grams sugar; 478 mg sodium.

Quesadillas stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound sliced or quartered mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh goat cheese

1/2 pound low-moisture mozzarella, diced

2 teaspoons oil

12 corn tortillas

1. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming and bubbling, add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given up their moisture, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with shallots and cook until the shallots have softened, the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are quite tender, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint and the goat cheese.

2. Heat the oil on a griddle over medium heat; use a spatula to distribute it so the surface is evenly covered. If you don’t have a large griddle, you can use a skillet, but you’ll have to cook the quesadillas in more than one batch. Add the tortillas and cook on one side until they have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip them to the other side and spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture in the center. Sprinkle over some of the diced mozzarella and use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half around the filling.

3. Cook until the tortilla begins to brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes, and then flip onto the other side and cook until the tortilla browns on that side and the mozzarella is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes more. If some of the melting cheese oozes onto the griddle, that’s even better. Repeat if necessary to use up all of the tortillas and filling.

4. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 250-degree oven until all of the quesadillas have been made.

Each of 6 servings: 312 calories; 15 grams protein; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 17 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 44 mg. cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 686 mg. sodium. - See more at: https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/dailydish/2012/07/dinner-tonight-mushroom-quesadillas.html#sthash.3mOy8zs5.dpuf
Quesadillas stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese

Total time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

2 tablespoons butter

1 pound sliced or quartered mushrooms

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup minced shallots

1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint

1/4 cup fresh goat cheese

1/2 pound low-moisture mozzarella, diced

2 teaspoons oil

12 corn tortillas

1. Heat the butter in a small skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter has stopped foaming and bubbling, add the mushrooms and sprinkle with salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the mushrooms have given up their moisture, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with shallots and cook until the shallots have softened, the moisture has evaporated and the mushrooms are quite tender, about 5 more minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the mint and the goat cheese.

2. Heat the oil on a griddle over medium heat; use a spatula to distribute it so the surface is evenly covered. If you don’t have a large griddle, you can use a skillet, but you’ll have to cook the quesadillas in more than one batch. Add the tortillas and cook on one side until they have softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Flip them to the other side and spoon 3 to 4 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture in the center. Sprinkle over some of the diced mozzarella and use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half around the filling.

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3. Cook until the tortilla begins to brown on one side, about 2 to 3 minutes, and then flip onto the other side and cook until the tortilla browns on that side and the mozzarella is melted, about 2 to 3 minutes more. If some of the melting cheese oozes onto the griddle, that’s even better. Repeat if necessary to use up all of the tortillas and filling.

4. Serve immediately, or keep warm in a 250-degree oven until all of the quesadillas have been made.

Each of 6 servings: 312 calories; 15 grams protein; 26 grams carbohydrates; 4 grams fiber; 17 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 44 mg. cholesterol; 3 grams sugar; 686 mg. sodium.

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