Curve Ball Quesadillas

As a minister’s wife, I have to be ready to go with a meal at the drop of a hat. You never know when a carefully laid out lunch or dinner plan will get interrupted by LIFE!…and that’s how LIFE is, it loves to throw you a curve, so you have to be ready to adapt or get lost in the shuffle, or in this case, go hungry.

Today was such a day, my husband’s schedule is always too hectic, but at times that curve ball gets thrown in the mix.  Maybe it is my competitive spirit or just my passion for food, but I refuse to let LIFE get in the way of a meal!!

I got the call, no going for our usual leisure Sunday brunch (one of the few times we eat out all week, and I usually look forward to indulging in way too much Hollandaise sauce, but today was not going to be the day) The call, like an alarm at a fire station, made me jump into ACTION.

Quickly, I rush to the refrigerator and see a few of our smoked ribs leftover from last night’s tailgating, not enough for a meal…(this is how a lot of food gets thrown away, it keeps getting put aside).  Here is where your “go to” supplies will come in handy in a pinch. I review my “go to” supplies and take inventory:

*Tortillas…check  (What’s your favorite? low carb, gluten-free, whole wheat, there are many to choose)

*Grated Cheese…check

*Jalapenos…check

*Frozen onions and peppers…check……got it! (I’m a true believer in buying fresh, chopping and freezing my own, but these are the real deal, go ahead check out the label, nothing added, what you see is what you get, and they have many different varieties-I strongly recommend having these beauties in your “go to” supplies.)

Pork Quesadillas (yes, I know not exactly “outside the box”, but remember I need to act fast, not even time to make my one of my favorite Quesadilla fillings, caramelized onions!)

I immediately grab the ribs, warm them for a few seconds in the microwave (Not something I recommend for ribs) but remember the alarm is sounding and I don’t need them hot, just warm enough for me to pull the meat of the bone, then chop

Ok, got that done, I grab my non-stick skillet (if you don’t have one, buy one, they can come in handy when you are in a hurry) put it on medium high and put in my frozen peppers and onions with a little drizzle of olive oil, it will help them sauté faster.

I pull out some jalapenos from the jar and dice them and put them in along with some of the jalapeno juice in the skillet –I always save the leftover juice once all the jalapenos are gone to use in future recipes, and I like the fact that the jalapeno empty jar always gets me a “why in the world are you saving this?” response from my hubby!

Now is the time to add some seasoning: I add garlic powder and chili powder (Mexican Ancho Chili Powder is my fav)

When seasoning leftovers, always remember what seasoning and flavors you already have in the original dish 

After a quick stir, I add my chopped pork

Remember we are just heating up the pork, so it is just a few stirs of the skillet.

I grab the tortillas (soften in microwave about 10 seconds), lay them on a plate, scoop some of the filling on one half of the tortilla and top with some cheese, and fold over.

A quick spray of non-stick spray on the outside will help crisp them in the pan (think of your pan as a hot griddle) and put that side down first

Keep an eye on them, adjust heat accordingly, maybe 2 minutes per side, and before you flip, give a quick shot of non-stick spray

That’s It! Fifteen minutes from phone call to lunch and lucky for us we have a ripened avocado (we like ours with a little Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and fresh cracked pepper) to enJOY on the side!

There is JOY to be found in each day!

*Put your TO COOK IS TO CREATE thinking cap on: What filling would you like in a Quesadilla? What about your spouse or children? The definition of Quesadilla: a flour or corn (or other) tortilla filled with a savory mixture, folded, and toasted, fried or broiled-that’s easy! Think of everything you can do, and think “outside the box”-do you have any leftover items that would make a great Quesadilla?

*FOOD FUN: Have a Quesadilla night (like a pizza night) and let everyone pick their favorite filling (and don’t forget about toppings, too)