Creamy Spinach Quesadillas

When I left work this morning I drove home with even more enthusiasm than usual, knowing that Zach was waiting at the house for me! Zach completed his robotic surgery rotation this week, and had the day off today! Even though I was rather sleepy from being awake at work all night, how could I possibly take a nap when we had an entire week's worth of catching up and chatting awaiting us? So, I brewed a pot of coffee, poured myself my first cup of coffee of the week (now that I've adjusted to a night shift schedule, I'm able to stay lively at work without any caffeine, which is a miracle of physiology indeed...), and we settled in to exchange the adventures of our week. Zach had lots of updates to share about the paper he's writing and hopes to publish, and I had a somewhat less intellectual but nonetheless amusing story about a patient who thought her intravenous fluid pump was singing hymns and lullabies...

At the moment Zach has resumed work on his paper, and I'm applying myself to the final draft of our Thanksgiving menu and grocery shopping list, but a few hours earlier we were still chattering over lunch, for which I whipped up two light, creamy, positively dreamy spinach quesadillas. Ready at a moment's notice, and packed with veggies and calcium, these quesadillas felt like the perfect antidote to a long night at work, and the just the right introduction to the weekend...

Creamy Spinach Quesadillas

*Note: as written, this recipe serves two as a main course - feel free to adjust the quantities as needed...

1/2 cup corn kernels, fresh or frozen

1 1/2 cups baby spinach leaves

8 oz fat free cottage cheese

1/2 tsp cilantro

2 whole wheat tortillas

2 slices pepper-jack cheese

Minced chives

~ Heat the corn kernels on the stovetop or in the microwave, just until warmed through.

~ In a food processor, puree the spinach leaves and the cottage cheese to make a thick, smooth paste.

~ In a mixing bowl, stir together the corn kernels and the spinach-cottage cheese puree. Stir in the cilantro, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

~ Spread half of the corn-spinach mixture across one side of each of the tortillas. Place 1 slice of cheese atop the corn-spinach filling on each tortilla, and fold each tortilla in half.

~ Coat a large skillet with cooking spray, and, over medium heat, cook one folded tortilla until the filling is heated through and the tortilla is golden brown on each side, flipping once. Repeat with the other tortilla.

~ Serve warm, garnished with minced chives!