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Crispy Vegetable Quesadilla

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These crispy vegetable quesadillas, courtesy of Cooking Light, are easy and delicious! Poblano chile gives these veggie-filled wedges a spicy kick while mashed beans and savory cheese holds the quesadilla together. Serve with lime and light sour cream for a satisfying brown bag lunch.

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Crispy Vegetable Quesadilla

Ingredients

  • 1 teaspoon canola oil
  • 1 cup coarsely chopped poblano chile
  • 1/2 cup frozen whole-kernel corn
  • 3/4 cup packaged precooked quinoa and brown rice (such as Seeds of Change)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 5 ounces fresh spinach (about 8 3/4 cups)
  • 3 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup)
  • 1 cup canned unsalted black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 2 teaspoons Mexican hot sauce (such as Cholula)
  • 8 (6-inch) flour tortillas
  • Cooking spray

Optional Garnishes

  • 6 tablespoons light sour cream
  • 6 lime wedges

Directions

Place oven rack in middle of oven. Preheat broiler to high. Place a baking sheet on rack in oven (keep pan in oven as it preheats).

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add poblano and corn; cook 5 minutes, stirring once. Add quinoa, salt, and spinach; sauté 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat; stir in cheese.

Combine beans and hot sauce in a small bowl; mash with fork until smooth. Spread 2 1/2 tablespoons bean mixture on each of 4 tortillas; top each with 1/2 cup spinach mixture and 1 tortilla. Lightly coat quesadillas with cooking spray. Arrange quesadillas on preheated pan in oven; broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned, turning once.

Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve with sour cream and lime.

NOTE: The key to a perfect crisp is a sparing amount of cooking spray so that extra fat doesn’t absorb into the quesadilla. Plus, spreading mashed beans onto each tortilla forms a protective layer that keeps the veggie juices contained (and the tortillas crisp).

Nutrition Information

Serves: 6 |  Serving Size: 4 quesadilla wedges

Per serving: Calories: 297; Total Fat: 11g; Saturated Fat: 5g; Monounsaturated Fat: 2g; Cholesterol: 20mg; Sodium: 829mg; Carbohydrate: 40g; Dietary Fiber: 4g; Sugar: 4g; Protein: 13g

Nutrition Bonus: Potassium: 185mg; Iron: 19%; Vitamin A: 49%; Vitamin C: 32%; Calcium: 27% 

Cooking Light Diet

Find more low-calorie dinner meals like this from the new Cooking Light Diet, where you can lose weight without giving up the foods you love. Learn more at CookingLightDiet.com. Follow Cooking Light on Facebook for more daily recipe inspiration.

Follow Cooking Light on Facebook for daily recipe inspiration.

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