Baby Kale and Tempeh Quesadillas

Well I couldn't even last the week without using my OXO Fold and Flip Omelet Turner again. No I'm not getting paid to gush about this product, it's just that darn amazing.

I find it truly shocking that I don't have a single recipe for quesadillas on this little blog. Who doesn't love a quesadilla? Cheese + tortilla = muy delicioso.

Hmmm, that high school Spanish really stuck with me...not.

Usually quesadillas are a nutritional nightmare, a heavily buttered flour tortilla stuffed to the brim with cheese with a sprinkle of vegetables or chicken if you're lucky. CHOO CHOO ALL ABOARD THE SATURATED FAT EXPRESS! NEXT STOP HEART ATTACK!

Okay, so that's a bit of an overkill but normal quesadillas are really something you don't want to eat every day. But when it comes to healthy eating I think the most effective strategy is to continue eating the foods you like, but in reasonable portions.

For example instead of mega 12" flour tortillas like they use at Chipotle, how about we use 6" corn tortillas instead? The calorie difference between the two is a bit shocking

Granted a lot of this difference is size, but even when the tortillas are the same size you're still looking at a large difference. What a difference in sodium! Especially when you consider the types of foods you usually eat tortillas with (cheese, sour cream, fried meats, seasoned rice) are already high in sodium. Corn tortillas earn an extra A+ because they are gluten free, kosher and vegetarian. So now that we've decided to use corn tortillas what else can we do to make a healthier, but still tasty quesadilla? Choosing a vegetarian protein source will always lower the saturated fat content of your meal and you can expand your culinary horizons by trying new ingredients like tempeh. I personally love tempeh because it has a nice firm texture and is loaded with protein. Tempeh is also slightly fermented so it provides some probiotic benefits. If you need a refresher on probiotics check out my post from a few months ago. You can cook tempeh like any meat by heating a little oil in a pan and sauteing with your spices of choice. I used an all purpose seasoning blend, but if you're feeling more adventurous have at it! Another benefit of tempeh is you don't have to wait until it's "done" like you would with beef, pork or chicken. I cook mine until heated through and slightly browned on all sides, which usually takes 10 minutes. Next comes the vegetable choice. If you recall I first tried baby kale a few days ago and as predicted I am plaster posters on my bedroom wall, cry and scream in the presence of, writing love songs obsessed with it. It is unbelievably tasty with a nice peppery bite that reminds me of broccoli. I ate it 100% raw for lunch today which attracted some odd stares from my co-workers. So I eat like a rabbit sometimes. No biggie.Baby kale works perfectly in these quesadillas because if we're using baby tortillas, why not use baby vegetables? If you're not of the kale persuasion spinach, peppers/onions or mushrooms would work as well.  Now don't worry I'm going to let us have a little fun when it comes to the cheese. I am 100% against fat free cheese and I don't think anyone on earth should eat it. It does not melt which scares me. Stick with reduced fat cheeses or my personal favorite is buying extra flavorful cheeses and using smaller amounts. Like extra sharp cheddar for instance. You only need a little of this stuff to get a punch of flavor. Another favorite is pepper jack if you're feeling spicy. So we have all our ingredients so all we need is our OXO Flip and Fold Omelet Turner and we're good to go! With the calories we saved by choosing corn tortillas, tempeh and baby kale we can have two quesadillas for under 350 calories and 15 g of fat! Right...anyways. You know you want to make these quesadillas tonight for dinner. And if you need some extra encouragement you could eat 7 of these quesadillas for the same amount of calories as one Chipotle burrito AND you'd still save 1,800 mg of sodium and 5 g of fat. Baby Kale and Tempeh Quesadillas 2 oz. diced tempeh (about 1/4 cup) 1/8-1/4 t. all purpose seasoning  1 oz. sharp cheddar cheese, shredded 1 T. salsa for serving (optional) 1. In a small skillet heat oil over medium heat. Add tempeh and seasonings and cook until tempeh has browned on all sides, or approximately 10 minutes. Remove from heat. 2. Coat the small skillet with cooking spray and return to medium heat. Lightly spray one tortilla with cooking spray and set in pan. Cover the tortillas with half of the cheese. 3. On one half of the tortilla place half the baby kale and tempeh. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until cheese has started to melt and the tortilla is puffed or blistered on the edges. Fold over the side of the tortilla without toppings over the side with toppings. Press the quesadilla with your OXO turner or spatula so cheese will melt the two sides together. 4. Cook for 2-3 minutes more and remove from heat. Place finished quesadilla in the oven set on warm. Repeat steps 2-4 to cook an additional quesadilla. 5. Serve quesadillas with salsa if desired and enjoy! Dead Man's Hand: Ha Ha Tonka 

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