dinner in five

At one point or another (and for some, more often than not), we're all looking for a quick fix. And preferably one that's not going to wreak havoc on our wallets and/or waistline. So here's a ridiculously fast and filling lunch or dinner option that can be re-created a bajillion (yep, that many) different ways depending on what you've got on hand or what you happen to be jonesing for at any given moment.

Take a whole wheat tortilla (or regular is just fine) and fill it with a little bit of cheese (possibilities are endless, above was filled with some monterey jack and diced red onion). I know this sounds sacrilegious but I actually prefer to microwave my quesadillas. Gasp! No extra fat and the result is soft and creamy. But by all means, throw it into a pan, a panini press, a George Forman, the grill, whatever. It all works perfectly fine. Next, toss up a little salad. The other night I threw together some baby greens, grape tomatoes, and some shrimp with a shallot-dijon vinaigrette. Serve the salad atop the quesadilla and you are so ready to go.

But here's the thing. This is just a concept. Here for you to take it in whatever direction you see fit. Have some camembert or taleggio sitting in the fridge? Thinly slice some of it, spread a thin layer of a jam (apricot, lingonberry, etc.) on the tortilla, add the cheese, and cook that off. Top that with a lightly dressed salad of baby arugula and you've taken this à la francaise.

Have at it. And I can't wait to hear how you plan to make this little number your own! To the comments section, my friends...