Spinach Quesadillas a la Las Palmas

Who needs a recipe for quesadillas?!  Who wants to cook like the Las Palmas chain restaurant?  Hahaha.  Yeah.  Me neither.  However, an emergency meal I had there recently inspired me to make my own delicious and probably healthier version of their spinach quesadillas.

Comida fresca

Que huele fabuloso

Antes d'siesta

Ingredients:

• Corn or flour tortillas
• a bunch of fresh spinach
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/2 cup fresh mushrooms
• 1/2 small yellow onion
• canola oil
• cumin
• shredded cheese 
• butter

1. Crush and mince the garlic.  Chop the onion.  Wash and chop the spinach.  
2. Heat a sauteing pan.  Add 1 Tbsp oil.  Add the onion and cook 2 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook one minute more.  Add the mushrooms and saute.  Add the cumin (1 tsp to taste) and lastly the spinach.  Cook approximately 30 seconds to a minute tossing the spinach until it gives up much of its liquid, but doesn't wilt completely.
3. Remove the spinach mixture to a bowl and dump the remaining spinach juice (or reserve to use in a vegetable broth later). 
4. Add a little butter and oil to the still hot pan and heat.  Put down one tortilla and cover it with shredded cheese.  Top that with the spinach/mushroom mixture and cover that with more cheese.  Place another tortilla on top and press down.  Cook approximately 2 minutes on each side and remove to a cutting board to cut while you continue to cook with the remaining cheese, spinach and tortillas.

I served this dish with a rice that I sauteed with cumin, onion, garlic, green peppers and tomatoes as well as refried black beans and plain yogurt.  My rice had less oil than the rice at Las Palmas.  My beans were black and contained no lard and my yogurt was healthier than their sour cream.  I'm sure I'll make this again.  

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