I have found the best cookbook.
I like this cookbook so much that I am attempting to cook every recipe in it. I really want to become more adventurous in the kitchen because it is difficult for me to stray from my usual recipes. Plus, when it comes to the kitchen, I find that it is the one area of “do it yourself” projects I struggle with the most! So I did some research and found The Real Simple Easy Delicious Home Cooking cookbook and decided this is the book for me. The recipes are categorized by season, and then sub-categorized by different types of seasonal starters, dinners and desserts. I will be going through each recipe by season, but in no particular order (with the exemption of recipes including pork since I’m allergic). For example, since it is Spring now, I will begin with Spring recipes, but I’ll be cooking/baking the recipes out of order according to how I’m feeling. Also, being the creative person that I am, I will be adding my own twist to the recipes according to what I feel is necessary.
This week I made Beef Quesadillas With Arugula & Corn Salad. The recipe in the book actually calls for watercress instead of arugula, but my grocery store didn’t have watercress, so I substituted. Ingredients: beef, red onion, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper (I used Sriracha sauce instead) Monterrey Jack cheese, flour tortillas, frozen corn, arugula or watercress, and a lime.
I started by cutting up half of the red onion, and throwing it a large frying pan with some olive oil on medium heat. While the onions were browning I grated the Monterrey Jack cheese.
Meanwhile on another burner, I heated a smaller frying pan to medium-low heat and threw some frozen corn and the rest of the onion on it. The corn is for the arugula salad and I thought it would add nice flavor to the salad if I browned it with onion.
Next I added the ground beef (you can use thin sliced beef if you want too) to the larger pan with the onions browning. Stir the onions and beef until the beef is cooked. While the ingredients in the pan are cooking, I had my panini maker heating up. I folded the tortilla in half to make a crease it it and placed it on the panini maker. I sprinkled some cheese on the bottom, then scooped some of the cooked beef and onion on top of the cheese. Then I folded the other side over, and closed the top to the panini maker to toast.
While the quesadilla is toasting, remove the corn and onion from the pan, and place it in a mixing bowl with the arugula or watercress and about a half a limes worth of juice and tossed. Below is the finished product!
I also made some guacamole on the side to dip the quesadilla in and it was delish!
For more about this recipe you should check out thecookbook. Cheers to many seasons of great food!
xo,
Maggie
Source:
Clapp, Allie Lewis; Grace, Lygeia; Gianetti, Candy. “Beef Quesadillas With Watercress & Corn Salad.” Recipe. Real Simple Easy Delicious Home Cooking. New York: Real Simple Books, 2012. 368. Print.
