It’s a hot and rainy Summer day, and I had all sorts of wonderful things for making a salad. But I’ve been eating cold salads for days now, and wanted to find a way to have the same ingredients a bit warmer.

Romaine is a cookable green that can act as a substitute for Escarole, either sautéed or added to a soup. There’s been an abundance of gorgeous Romaine at the local market, and I went a little overboard this weekend, so I started thinking of what I could make that would be a substantial meal while still being Summery.

This quesadilla enjoys the flavors of colorful carrots, peppers and corn, but any veggies and grains you prefer work great as well! 
Toasty Quesadilla with Charred Corn, Sautéed Romaine and Veggies
Ingredients:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

4-5 cloves garlic, sliced or minced

1 small onion, rough chop

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 stalk celery, rough chop

1/2 bell pepper of choice, chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 teaspoons dried herbs, such as chives or dill

1 medium head Romaine lettuce, thoroughly soaked and rinsed, then chopped

1 cup corn kernels (off the cob or frozen work best)

2 tortillas of choice

1/2 cup grated melty cheese, such as pepper jack, Monterey, cheddar, or mozzarella
Equipment:

One small frying pan

One large frying pan
Steps:

1. Place your corn in the small frying pan with no oil, and toast on medium heat until charred. Set aside in a bowl.

2. In this same pan, now add the carrot and pepper and also toast on medium heat until charred. Add to the bowl with the corn.

3. In the large frying pan, place the oil, garlic, onion, salt and spices. Cook on medium heat, stirring frequently until the garlic has gotten fragrant, at least 5 minutes.

4. Add the celery and chopped Romaine and cook until the celery is a bright green and the Romaine has wilted. Add to the bowl, and stir to combine.

5. Place one tortilla into the smaller frying pan, add 1/4 cup cheese and 1/2 cup of the veggie mixture to one half of the tortilla, and fold tortilla over.

6. Toast for one minute or until golden on each side of the tortilla.

7. Repeat with the second tortilla. 

Any leftover veggies are perfect served with chicken, beans and rice, or tofu.