Strawberry Spinach Quesadillas

High up on the list of things I can’t live without in the summertime: fresh berries and fresh herbs. Due to the insane winter, we had a later than usual strawberry season – and although it’s pretty much over, I couldn’t resist getting just one more meal out of my favorite berry before bidding farewell until next spring.

I’ve always loved strawberries in savory dishes. Cutting their sweetness with peppery basil is one of my favorite all-time combinations. For these quesadillas, I made a herbed cream cheese with fresh basil, then spread it on whole-grain tortillas. After piling on some fresh chopped baby spinach, sweet sliced strawberries, and a sprinkle of diced spring onions, I drizzled on a little balsamic reduction, and then they were ready to fold up and toss onto a hot griddle.

I left them on just long enough for the tortillas to brown and the spinach to wilt a little bit and for the berries release a bit of their juice, which combines perfectly with the basil-flecked cream cheese. I served these up for a quick weekday dinner, but they could also be cut into strips for a light appetizer. Either way, they’re definitely making me feel how much I’m going to miss fresh strawberries.

Strawberry Spinach Quesadillas

 

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Prep time

10 mins

Cook time

5 mins

Total time

15 mins

 

Not your everyday quesadilla - sweet strawberries combined with herbed cream cheese and fresh basil make a unique weekday dinner or easy appetizer.

Category: Appetizer, Main Dish

Yield: 3 servings as a main dish, 6-8 servings as an appetizer

Ingredients

• 6 ounces light cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ cup chopped fresh basil
• ⅓ cup balsamic vinegar
• 3 whole grain tortillas
• 2 cups fresh baby spinach, chopped
• 1 cup sliced strawberries
• 2 Tbsp diced spring onions
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Cooking spray or 1 Tbsp oil

Instructions

1. Stir together the cream cheese and basil and set aside.
2. In a small saucepan over medium heat, cook the balsamic vinegar until bubbly and thickened, 3-5 minutes. Set aside to cool.
3. Spread ⅓ of the cream cheese mixture on each tortilla. Distribute spinach, spring onions, and strawberries evenly over all three. Drizzle balsamic on top of strawberries. Add salt and pepper to taste and fold each tortilla in half.
4. Lightly oil a large skillet or grill pan over medium-high heat. Cook quesadillas for 2 minutes per side, or until tortillas are slightly browned and spinach is starting to wilt. Let cool 5 minutes, slice, and serve.

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