This post is sponsored by Pacific Foods, a brand I’ve loved and used for many years! Thank you for supporting the brands that keep The Kitchen Paper up and running!
If I had to choose one goal for this blog, it would be to encourage everyone to cook with what they have — and make the most of it! For me, that’s the easiest way to decrease food waste (while simultaneously making it easier to cook!). It’s definitely an acquired mindset — you need to plan ahead, be willing to get creative, and develop some knowledge of how to cook a wide variety of foods.
Today let’s talk a tiny bit about keeping your pantry stocked with things that help you throw together a meal. For me, that means always having stock (for soup! or tasty rice!), canned tomatoes (more soup! or pasta sauce!), rice, and beans! And, if we’re talking refrigerator stuff and being totally honest… I always have cheese and tortillas. Like, ALWAYS. You know I love my quesadillas!
This fall, Pacific Foods is hitting the road with their #NourishEveryBody campaign — where they’ll donate a meal to a child in need for every photo you share (of your meal!) with the #NourishEveryBody hashtag. Their goal? Fighting hunger in the Pacific Northwest! Waste less, share more! Obviously that’s a cause I can get behind. I agree with them when they say that everyone deserves access to healthy, nourishing foods! Check out the Portland tour events landing page here, and make sure to stop by one of their tour stops to learn more about how you can help, and sample some of their nourishing products.
In the spirit of sharing how to use what you have, I used four ingredients that I ALWAYS have (kale, cheese, tortillas, and refried beans!) to make my go-to quesadilla. It hits the spot every time, is SO easy to make, and is endlessly customizable. I used regular kale in this one, but you could throw in some garlicky kale for a spicy kick! Check out the video!
Have a wonderful rest of your week, and make sure to post a photo with the #NourishEveryBody hashtag! xoxo
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 1 cup torn kale leaves
- 2 medium tortillas
- ¼ cup Pacific Foods Refried Beans (I used black)
- ½ cup grated cheese
- salt & pepper
- Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a small frying pan. When hot, add the kale with a small amount of water. Cook, stirring, until the kale is totally wilted and the water has evaporated (3-4 minutes). Remove from heat, and season lightly with salt and pepper.
- Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat. Spread the beans on one tortilla, and place it tortilla-side-down in the pan. Sprinkle with about half of the cheese, then the cooked kale, topped with the remaining cheese and tortilla.
- Cook until the bottom tortilla is golden and crispy, then flip, and cook until both tortillas are golden and crispy and the cheese is fully melted.
- Remove from the heat, cool for 30 seconds, then cut and eat!
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