One advantage of having a CSA share is that I definitely get my greens. When I picked up my last share of the season on Saturday, there were three big leafy bundles of greens: arugula, tatsoi (an Asian spinach), and turnip greens. The turnip greens were so beautiful that I swore they could’ve been someone’s bridal bouquet.
Because of this, I’ve started making myself Green Monster smoothies for breakfast with a couple cups of greens, 1 cup of soy milk, a 1/2 scoop of protein powder, 2 tbsp ground flax, and a banana. Sometimes I’ll add some pumpkin and cinnamon. It doesn’t taste as weird as you might think, but the color is pretty vibrant. The first time I made one, I left the blender out, and Joe’s first question was, “What in the world did you make in the blender that was so green?”
And this is how I know that I’ve become my parents. They have always been athletes, and I remember making fun of my mom for eating a combination of yogurt, peanut butter, and Grape-Nuts cereal because it looked like dog food. Well, now I’m drinking green smoothies for breakfast.
These quesadillas are a more mainstream way to get your greens in. With crisp apples and smooth melted Brie, the peppery arugula stands out. It would be a great appetizer for a fall get-together or simply increase the portion size and eat it for dinner with some more greens in the form of a salad. The mustard ties it all together, so don’t forget it!
Brie, Apple, and Arugula Quesadillas
source: Cooking Light October 2010
Yields 6 servings (2 wedges each)
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons apple cider
- 3 (10-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas
- 6 ounces Brie cheese, rind removed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices, divided
- 1 Fuji apple, cored and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices (about 1/2 pound), divided
- 3 cups arugula, divided
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
Preparation
1. Combine mustard and cider in a small bowl; stir well.
2. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spread each tortilla with equal amounts of the mustard mixture. Place 1 tortilla, mustard side up, in pan. Arrange one-third of cheese slices over half of tortilla; cook 1 minute or until cheese begins to melt. Arrange one-third of apple slices over cheese; top with 1 cup arugula. Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
3. Fold tortilla in half; press gently with a spatula. Cook 2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from pan. Repeat procedure twice with remaining 2 tortillas, cheese, apple slices, 2 cups arugula, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cut each quesadilla into 4 wedges.
