A popular restaurant menu item made clean

If you know me you know I love delicious but quick meals, well, I don't mind taking the time but when I'm hungry I just want to eat. Two of my favorite foods are cheese & seafood. Goat cheese has been a love of mine since I went to the South of France in 2006 and discovered creamy & tangy chevre. Since I was a kid I have always loved seafood, in fact, my grandfather would feed me oysters and sardines from the can and we would binge on fresh shrimp. In this recipe these two indulgences come together.

I don't eat cheese often but I get comfort from knowing that goat cheese is lower in fat than regular cow milk cheese and it's also higher in calcium. As well, it's quite a diverse product; it can be put on a pizza or eaten with fresh slices of tomato. It's a truly delightful cheese.

Shrimp are a very popular food item, even more so now as they are used in many dishes including pastas, stir-fry and not unlike goat cheese they have even become a topping on pizza. While shrimp might not receive as much healthy buzz as fish, they are still able to pack a nutritional punch. 4 ounces of shrimp meets half of your daily needs for protein and 20% of your recommended daily iron intake. All that for only 112 calories and less than 1 gram of fat. Not a bad change for the salmon or tuna you might be used to eating.

This is one recipe that I'm going to keep in my repertoire, it's quick, easy, healthy and most importantly delicious. I don't know about you but you can't beat the combination. 

 

INGREDIENTS:

• 6 oz frozen cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail off), thawed, drained and coarsely chopped (about 1 cup)
• 4 oz goat cheese, crumbled (1/2 cup)
• 1/2 cup jarred sliced roasted red peppers, drained
• 1/4 cup jarred sliced green olives, drained
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
•  small whole-grain tortillas (each 6 to 8 inches in diameter)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS:

ONE: Preheat oven to 425°F.
TWO: In a medium bowl, mix shrimp, cheese, roasted peppers, olives and basil. Lay tortillas out in a single layer on a flat surface. Scoop quarter of shrimp mixture into center of each tortilla. Fold tortilla over filling into a half-moon shape, pressing gently to flatten filling evenly inside tortilla.
THREE: Place tortillas on a parchment-lined baking tray. Brush tops of each tortilla with 1/2 tsp oil and sprinkle with black pepper. Bake for 6 minutes, until quesadillas are golden brown. Remove from oven and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes. Cut each quesadilla in half and serve immediately.

Nutrients per quesadilla (2 halves): Calories: 308, Total Fat: 13 g, Sat. Fat: 5 g, Carbs: 26 g, Fiber: 3 g, Sugars: 2 g, Protein: 18 g, Sodium: 554 mg, Cholesterol: 78 mg