Apple Brie Quesadilla

We are cheese lovers in our family. And it seems that I am always attracted to appetizer recipes that include cheese. Many (OK...many) years ago in my earlier life of entertaining friends, I thought it was daring to put out a plate of cheese and crackers that included Harvarti, not just cheddar! Yes, that was thinking out of the box for me. As I became more attracted to cooking and baking and learning about new foods, wines and pairings, I found that if I was going to serve something to my guests, a plate of cheese and crackers was not going to cut it. I wanted different things, fun food, creative tastes. Those who know me best, know that I am an appetizer queen. I love to fuss with this course. This recipe is not only a great appetizer, it can be a good snack if you have some flour tortillas left over and don't know what to do with them. And it works as well with pears as it does with apples. Paired with a wonderful chilled, crisp white wine, this is superb to serve your guests. And it's not that boring plate of cheese!

Apple-Brie Quesadillas

Peel core and thinly slice a Granny Smith apple. Saute apples with 1 Tbsp butter.

Add 8 slices of fully cooked and cut-up bacon. Cook for 1 minute.

Spread 4-fajita size tortillas in a non-stick baking sheet.

Divide apples among the tortillas; top apples with 6 oz of sliced Brie cheese and 4 more tortillas. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. (This is tricky, so use a couple of spatulas to do this.) Remove from oven and cut into wedges and serve.

Chicken and Red Bean Tostadas

Need some better ways to feed your hungry family in a pinch? Here is an idea for a quick Mexican meal. It can be prepped and done within 30 minutes. I cut it out of a magazine and not sure which one. But it is really good and I think it provides good nutritional value. If you have chicken during the week, prepare some extra to put away for this later in the week. Or make the chicken the night before and put in the fridge for the following day. If you don't have or don't like red beans, substitute black beans, or try a mixture of both. Also, you can shred the lettuce the night before and put in a zip-lock bag. You can also shave a few calories by using low-fat shredded Colby-Jack cheese. And using whole wheat tortillas will add some fiber! To add even more flavor, use a can of warmed vegetarian chili. Doing this will add more sodium to the dish, however.

Chicken and Red Bean Tostadas

4 10-inch flour tortillas (I buy the low-carb kind)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 grilled chicken breast halves, chopped (about 12-oz total)

1 15-oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed

1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (from 1 head)

1-1/2 cups tomato salsa (mild to hot depending on your taste)

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil. Place tortillas on baking sheets and brush with oil. Bake until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Divide chicken, beans and cheese among tortillas and return to oven. Bake until cheese has melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and top each portion with 1/4 of the salsa and sour cream. Serve immediately.

It's back to school time and that also means back to the regular schedule of lunches and snacks for the kids. Having grandchildren, I try to get them to try different things. The 2-year old LOVES everything. The 6-year old, and I know I have told you this before, is in love with bread and butter. SO how can you get the proper nutrition into a day for kids that need the energy to stay alert in class? Our daughter is very good about providing healthy snacks and making lunches that the kids will eat. But mac and cheese is not always on the school menu and you certainly can't send it with the kids! So whenever I see something unique, I try to share it with her so she can try it out. She is creative in her own right, but sometimes things get boring so we need to kick it up. I recently saw a few ideas in a magazine that used Mission Flour Tortillas. Besides the usual burritos, enchiladas and deli turkey and lettuce roll ups that you can make with these, I felt they had some neat ideas to pass along. Plus I have included a few of my own. I think this is a good product and I use it often in place of bread. They have fewer calories and they are easy to handle.

One recipe is for a TRAIL MIX TACO. You spread the flour tortilla with 2 Tbsp peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of honey. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon each of granola and raisins. Put some sliced apples and bananas on top and fold over. These are packed with good stuff!

How about a PB & J BURRITO? Spread a flour tortilla with peanut butter and your favorite jelly or jam. Place a banana in the center and roll it up like a burrito. Cut it in half and it looks so cool! Or use Marshmallow Fluff instead of PB & J. Gosh remember those marshmallow fluff sandwiches with sliced bananas on Wonder white?

Our grandkids all love QUESAILLAS. The boys are purists. I take one flour tortilla and put it in a saute pan that has been sprayed with PAM. Put some cheese on top of that and cover with another tortilla. When cheese is melting, flip the quesadilla to brown the other side, remove from the pan, into triangles and serve. Our 18 month old granddaughter likes hers with some spinach leaves in with the cheese....she is more upscale!! LOL

• Another idea is to spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the flour tortilla and place some celery sticks on top. Roll up and you have a nice crunchy snack. This also works well with apple slices and peanut butter.

• I like Muenster cheese and thinly sliced cucumbers with a little dilled mayo rolled up in a flour tortilla. I have also used some sprouts in this before, but with the bad rap about sprouts these days, I have cut back my usage of these. But if you have your own home grown sprouts and you know they are safe, they add a nice crunch and zing to this.

• Go Italian! Spread some pizza sauce on the flour tortilla and add some thinly sliced pepperoni and shredded mozzarella. Roll up like a burrito and microwave for a few seconds just to warm and melt the cheese. You can also make this quesadilla style. And for fewer calories without sacrificing flavor, use turkey pepperoni and park skim mozzarella.

• Make a tuna salad burrito. Place a nice dark green leaf of lettuce on the flour tortilla and spread with tuna salad...roll up and eat!

• Once in awhile we also like filling a flour tortilla with scrambled eggs and salsa for an eye-opener in the morning. You can also add a sausage link to the center and rollup burrito style. These are especially nice on a buffet or if you have to feed a crowd.

So my "Mission" here is finished. I hope you will try some of these out on your kids and yourself and enjoy a break from the usual sandwich routine.