Meatless Monday (De Mayo) - Lighter Veggie Quesadillas + Grape Tomato Salsa Fresca

Grape Tomato Salsa Fresca - easy, light & fast! Photo: NK

Sluggish Monday or not, you probably know by now that in our house, we'd never let Cinco De Mayo pass unnoticed (do take a look back at our 2012 and 2013 Mexican-inspired food celebrations). 

We're skipping the margaritas this year (let's call it our half-hearted attempt to behave like model citizens a few weekdays), and streamlining recipe prep work more than usual because, well, after a weekend, it takes us a bit more effort to get in the swing of things. 

Still, we're in a celebratory mood for a few reasons, one of which being that just last week, Neurotic Kitchen took great pleasure in receiving the official seal of approval from MeatlessMonday.com. This wonderful internet destination for all things meatless noticed our frequent participation in the eponymous movement, and for that, we're grateful. Needless to say, we're even more eager to continue to support this important health initiative and will look forward to creating many more Meatless Monday dishes to share with you. So today's question was, could Cinco De Mayo be yummy minus meat? The answer - a resounding si! 

Easy Veggie Quesadillas With Grape Tomato Salsa Fresca, Photo: NK

To achieve our meatless mission, we whipped up a fast and super light salsa fresca to go with simple (just 5 ingredients) yet delicious veggie quesadillas made with a quick black bean mash, avocado, and baby spinach. Some melty white cheddar seals this tasty, handheld package up in no time flat. We tried to keep our ingredients as wholesome and clean as possible, and you'll find this dish to be kid friendly too. We hope you enjoy! 

Lighter Veggie Quesadillas + Grape Tomato Salsa Fresca
Adapted from Epicurious
Serves 4 - about 3 slices of quesadilla each

Ingredients:
For the Quesadillas:
15 Ounce Can Organic Black Beans, rinsed well and drained
1 teaspoon Cholula or similar vinegary hot sauce
1 Avocado, cut into thin slices
About 2-3 Ounces Baby Spinach (we like to buy pre-washed for ease of use)
1 Cup Light (low fat) White Cheddar, grated, or similar cheese
4 Large 10-inch Whole WheatTortillas or Wraps (like La Tortilla Factory 100 calorie wraps)
Sliced Jalapeños - optional

For the Salsa Fresca:
1/4 Cup Chopped Cilantro, plus more sprigs for garnish
About 2 Cups Organic Grape Tomatoes, sliced into thirds or fourths
1.5 teaspoons fresh Lime Juice 
1/4 cup chopped Red Onion
1/4 teaspoon Cumin
1/4 teaspoon Salt 

Method:
1. Mix up the Salsa Fresca ingredients in a medium bowl. Toss well and set aside.

Assembling the Quesadillas, Photo: NK 

2. Prepare the black bean mash by pouring beans into a medium bowl and adding the hot sauce. Now lightly mash them with a large spoon. They should be somewhere in between smooth and chunky. Mix well. (NOTE- if you omit the hot sauce for any reason you must remember to season the black bean mash with some salt. The hot sauce places a significant role in imparting more flavor to the beans).

3. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium high heat. To assemble the Quesadillas, lay out 4 tortillas on a clean surface. Spread each tortilla with one quarter of the black bean mixture (don't spread beans all the way to the edge or they will spill out), then add 1/4 of the avocado slices to each tortilla. Now add a handful of spinach leaves to each tortilla, and finish with about 4 tablespoons of grated cheese per quesadilla. 

4. Fold quesadillas carefully in half and apply some pressure with your hands. Cook them 2 by 2 on the hot skillet (or more at a time if you have room) allowing them to grill on each side for 2-3 minutes before flipping. The quesadillas should brown nicely but not burn (some grill marks will appear as well). Press them down with a spatula to help the cheese melt and seal. Remove quesadillas to a cutting board and allow to cool slightly. Slice into 3 triangles a piece using a serrated knife and plate. Serve with Salsa Fresca, sprigs of cilantro, a sprinkling of sliced jalapeños and, of course, extra hot sauce. Enjoy! 

A Few of my Favorite Things - Clam Appetizer + Fluke 2 Ways

Life can be one unpredictable blankety-blank - as we can all attest. For this reason, 

I especially relish those blocks of time when everything just seems to go perfectly.

I encourage you to do the same!  

It's in this very grateful spirit that I give you 

Things that rocked this weekend:

~Beautiful warm weather 

~Getting all our chores done efficiently - just look at that mulch :) 






~Being first in line for the catch of the day -- more on that later

 ~ A few stellar finds at the neighbor's yard sale

~ A long bike ride 

~These Oysters with a Red Horseradish Granita that made for a super lunch...

 ~ And my personal favorite - a luscious mid-afternoon nap. 

Now I know you'll agree that an amazing weekend deserves to be closed out with a wonderful meal, and if you're anything like us, perfectly balmy weather whets your appetite for Seafood.  Getting our hands on a super fresh catch of Local Fluke provided an inspiring jumping off point for a Summery Menu celebrating the fruits of the sea.

Local Fluke Ceviche

Clams with Bacon, Tomatoes & Peppers

Pan Seared Fluke with Lime Butter  

Fluke Ceviche, Photo: NK

Fluke Ceviche

Inspired by Martha Stewart

Serves 2 as a light appetizer 

Ingredients:

6 Ounces of very fresh Fluke Fillet, cut into a medium dice or to the size you prefer

3 Tablespoons Lime Juice

1 heaping Tablespoon chopped Fresh Cilantro

1/4 small Red Onion, cut into a very fine mince

1/4 Jalapeno, seeded and very thinly sliced

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt

Method:

1. Combine Fish and Lime Juice in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least a half hour or up to 2 hours, stirring occasionally.

2. When Fish is opaque, mix in all other ingredients. Stir and serve chilled. Enjoy! 

Next up, we have our crowd pleasing Clam Appetizer, a twist on my Classic Zuppa di Vongole, but do check out our old favorite HERE. 

Clams with Bacon, Blistered Grape Tomatoes & Yellow Peppers, Photo: NK

Clams with Bacon, Grape Tomatoes, & Yellow Peppers

Adapted from Mario Batali's Italian Grill

Serves 2-3 as an Appetizer or 2 as a light Entree

Ingredients: 

18 Small Littleneck Clams, Scrubbed

2 strips of good quality Bacon (we like Coleman or Boar's Head), cut into a small dice

1/2 a Yellow Bell Pepper, de-seeded and chopped into a half-inch dice

About 18 Grape Tomatoes

2 Tablespoons Olive Oil

1 teaspoon Crushed Red Pepper

3 Garlic Cloves, thinly sliced

3/4 Cups Dry White Wine

Slices of Crusty Bread, for dipping in Broth (optional) 

Parsley or Cilantro Garnish (optional)  

Method: 

1. In a large, deep skillet with a lid, heat Oil over low heat for a minute. Add the Grape Tomatoes and allow them to cook for about 4-5 minutes until the skin begins to blister and brown just a bit. Pick out the Tomatoes with tongs and set aside in a bowl. 

2. In the same skillet, over low heat, add the Bacon and cook for about 4 minutes until it is beginning to brown. Now add Bell Pepper, Garlic, and Crushed Red Pepper. Cook, stirring often for another 3 minutes. 

3. Add Wine to the skillet and turn the heat to medium. Bring to a boil. Add the Clams to the skillet and cover. 

4. Allow the Clams to cook, covered, for 5 minutes over medium heat. Open the pot lid and begin to pull out Clams immediately as the open. If you leave them long after they pop open they will become rubbery. It may take another 3-4 minutes for all Clams to open. Discard any that do not. 

5. Portion Clams into each bowl. Top with Broth including bits of Pepper and Bacon. Sprinkle each plate with Grape Tomatoes. Garnish if you choose and serve immediately alongside Crusty Bread and enjoy! 

And for Fluke fans that don't fancy it raw, here's an easy way to prepare this versatile and hearty white fillet.

Pan Seared Fluke with Lime Butter, Photo: NK

Pan Seared Fluke with Lime Butter 

Servings Vary 

Ingredients: 

Fresh Fluke Fillets (one 6-8 ounce portion per person will do)

Olive Oil (about a Tablespoon per pound of Fish) 

Lime Zest - about a 1/2 teaspoon per Fillet

Lime Juice - about 1/2 a Lime per Fillet 

1/2 Tablespoon Unsalted Butter (per Fillet)

Sliced Jalapeno (optional) 

Sliced Red Onion (optional)

Cilantro (optional garnish) 

Kosher Salt

Black Pepper 

Method: 

1. Heat a nonstick skillet with a Tablespoon of Olive Oil Medium high heat. 

Salt and Pepper the Fillets

2. Heat each Fillet on one side until browned and almost cooked through - timing will vary based on Fillet size. Flip Over and sear on the opposite side for another minute or two. When finished, Fish will be opaque and flake easily with a fork.

3. Plate the warm Fillets right away and place a 1/2 Tablespoon of Butter on each. Spread Butter around until it melts. Sprinkle with Lime Zest and squeeze Lime Juice over each portion. Garnish with sliced Jalapeno, Cilantro, and Red Onion.

Enjoy!