Quick Spinach Quesadillas

Those of you who have been watching the news probably know that we had a "blizzard" here in Ohio this weekend. I'm not sure I'd use the word "blizzard" - to me, it was just an inconvenient amount of driveway shoveling. But I guess if the media wants to make a big deal about it, so be it.

Anyway, some friends got snowed in on Saturday. Carnivores. Hard core. Anyway, rather than venture out in the snow, I opted to make these quick spinach quesadillas for everyone. I think some of the people were more than a little put off by the sight of something green and leafy, but hey... when you're in a vegetarian's home, you will eventually encounter food that isn't fried, loaded with fat, or meat-laden.

Anyway, I liked these things because they were quick to put together (about 15 minutes, give or take), and made from ingredients I already had on hand. So if you're running short on time, give these easy spinach quesadillas a try.

10 burrito sized flour tortillas
1 8 oz package shredded Veggie Shreds "cheese"
1 jar picante sauce or salsa
fresh baby spinach
4 oz mushrooms, chopped
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced
low fat sour cream (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Place one tortilla on cutting board, sprinkle thin layer of cheese on top. Add onions, baby spinach, muchrooms, and picante sauce. Sprinkle on another layer of cheese, and place another tortilla on top. Repeat with remainder of tortillas.

Place on baking sheet or directly on oven rack, bake for 6-7 minutes. Place quesadillas on cutting board, cut into quarters.

Serve with sour cream if desired.

Super Easy Taquitos

Here's one of our household favorites - partially because my wife loves Mexican-ish food, and partially because it's a quick and easy solution for dinner. These taquitos can be assembled in about 10 minutes, and ready to serve in another 15. Yay for me for serving up yet another recipe that beats the 1/2 hour threshold. But you know me... that's just how I roll.

Note: This is one of the few recipes here that is not vegan. You can make it almost vegan by using Veggie Shreds ("almost" because Veggie Shreds contain casein, an animal product). Barring that, I'm not sure what you would do.

Anyway, here's how Super Easy Taquitos happen:

8 corn tortillas, taco size (I dunno - 8 inches in diameter?)
1 can vegetarian refried beans (don't assume all refried beans are vegetarian. Some contain lard and/or bits of Marlon Brando)
1 jar taco sauce
4 oz Veggie Shreds cheddar "cheese"
1 medium white or yellow onion, diced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Spoon 2 tbsp refried beans into each tortilla, about 1/3 of the way from one edge. Spread chopped onion over refried beans. Pour 1 tsp of taco sauce over beans/onions. Fold edge of each tortilla closest to the beans over the filling, and continue rolling until you reach the opposite edge.

Place the taquitos in a large casserole dish or rectangular glass 13" x 9" baking dish, allowing the taquitos to touch. Pour taco sauce over the top of the taquitos, then sprinkle the remainder of the onions over the taco sauce. Sprinkle cheese over the top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese melts.

Serve with chips and guacamole or salsa.