Ricotta Spinach & Tomato Quesadilla

Over at neverhomemaker.com she has a recipe for Lunch "Calzone" For One which is basically a quesadilla with ricotta cheese, greens, and tomatoes. It looked good the other day but I thought I was out of ricotta cheese so didn't make it. Today as I cleaned out the fridge I discovered I did have just a tiny bit left in the bottom of the container at the back of the fridge. Score!

I am a fairly picky tomato eater. As a child I would only eat a fresh tomato in a BLT. At this point in my life I can appreciate a good tasting tomato though I still won't eat the ones that come in a salad unless it is diced and hidden with lettuce and other salad goodies. I tried popping a cherry or grape tomato once just to see if I would like it. Nope. That being said, I was a little hesistant to put fresh tomato inside this 'calzone'. The tomatoes ended up a little cooked and added a great flavor. I ended up really liking this concoction. I used spinach for my greens then added basil, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning as the spices. With it only being 159 calories, I decided to play with the recipe a little bit.

Remember the kale & butternut quesadilla? I have been trying to think of ways to cut down on that 600 calorie beauty and wondered how kale and butternut would taste in this 'calzone'. Turns out is delicious for only 240 calories. YES! So, here is the basic recipe for the final product.

Ingredients

1 flour tortilla
2 TB ricotta cheese
2 kale leaves
1/4 c. diced butternut squash
1/4 c. diced tomatoes
chili powder
pepper
basil
Italian seasoning
garlic powder

Directions

In a saute pan, wilt the kale leaves (Pioneer Woman did it in olive oil. I was using a nonstick pan and didn't even add cooking spray). Remove from heat.

In same pan, saute butternut squash until tender. Add a dash of chili powder for seasoning. Remove from heat when done.

In pan, heat tortilla on both sides til warm, then spread ricotta cheese on the top side. Spread the tomatoes on top of the ricotta cheese. Add pepper, then kale leaves, and finally the squash. Top with the remaining seasonings.

Use a spatula to fold the tortilla in half and create a quesadilla. I like to flip it over on the side that became the top to make sure it is nice and browned and everything is warmed through.

Enjoy!