Lentil Quesadillas with Green Sauce

 

Since the apple cheddar quesadillas had gone over so well, I decided to try something a bit heartier: lentil quesadillas from Pinch of Yum, with a filling made in a slow cooker. This seemed much more indicated for the cold weather! The issue that I ran into was that the lentils and rice took forever to cook – after 8 hours on high, I gave up. (White rice would cook faster, but I don’t know how much of the issue was the rice and how much was the lentils as well.) That being said, the filling was still very good, and while the Fox predictably refused to taste it, the Little Prince liked it. The amounts here also seem off, because I had way more than I would have needed for the 8 quesadillas advertised! I froze half of it, and while I can attest that it’s still good once thawed and warmed up, we’ve now had enough for 4 family meals and still have a bit left over. Be warned! Also, don’t skip the green sauce, it’s fantastic. I served this with a green salad made with leftover ingredients I had lying around, though it’s entirely optional. 

For the green sauce 

1 avocado 

1 cup packed parsley and cilantro leaves (combined; I’d lean more heavily on the cilantro) 

1 jalapeño, ribs and seeds removed (I omitted it) 

2 cloves garlic 

juice of 1 lime (or 2) 

½ cup olive oil (I used ¼ cup) 

½ cup water 

1 tsp. salt 

½ cup pistachios 

For the filling (see note above) 

1 28-oz can of diced tomatoes 

½ yellow onion, chopped 

2 cloves garlic 

1 ½ tsp. cumin 

2 tsp. chili powder (I used a pinch of Korean pepper) 

1 tsp. salt 

1 Tbsp. oil 

1 cup dry brown or green lentils, picked over and rinsed 

1 cup uncooked brown rice, rinsed 

2 ½ cups vegetable broth 

For assembling 

16 flour tortillas 

3-4 cups shredded lactose-free cheese of choice (cheddar or Colby jack work well) 

lactose-free butter 

 

For the green sauce 

Process all the ingredients in the food processor. Set aside. 

For the filling 

In a blender or food processor (just rinse it, no need to thoroughly wash it), blend together the diced tomatoes, onion, garlic, cumin, chili powder, salt, and oil until mostly smooth. 

Place the tomato mixture in a slow cooker along with the lentils, rice, and broth. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-7 hours until soft (see note above – when in doubt, let it cook longer!). 

For assembling 

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Butter one side of each of two tortillas. Layer the following: tortillas (buttered side down), ¼ cup of cheese, ½ cup filling, ¼ cup cheese, tortilla (buttered side up). You could also use a bit less of the filling to keep the quesadillas more manageable, especially if you will be dipping them in green sauce. Fry each quesadilla for 3-5 minutes per side until golden brown. Remove from heat and let stand a few minutes before cutting (they’ll hold together better) and serving.