Wakey, wakey! It’s time to get up! You’ve got places to go! People to see!
Ugh. Gaw. Don’t you hate being woken up?!?
I mean, I get it… the whole places to go and people to see thing. But, seriously, unless you’re 10 years old or the house is on fire, it just feels so undignified.
So, you know, I’m not personally that into being woken up. And when it happens, my responses isn’t really a puppies and rainbows one. It’s more like a hungry javelina and poison sumac type of response.
I’m working on it, I really am. But for now… poison sumac.
Which is why, when I’m not being woken up, I have to dedicate a little bit of thoughtful consideration of that person who is chiefly responsible for waking me up, my poor, poison-sumac covered husband, A.
Today, I’m preparing him breakfast. After he woke me up and I got poison sumac all over him. We have a lot of quesadillas to make.
I’ve been on a bit of a meatless kick lately and these quesadillas fit the bill nicely; they can really be served and enjoyed for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I like the fluffy eggs, the juicy cherry tomatoes, and the creamy melted cheese, but I’m majorly crushing on this rustic, spiced take on hummus. It’s the simple work of puréeing canned chick peas, seasoning them up, then finishing with just a bit of olive oil and fresh lemon juice.
Honestly, I prepare this ‘hummus’ in large batches even when I’m not making these quesadillas and eat it as a dip, sandwich or taco spread, and a healing balm for A.’s poison sumac (not so on that last one).
And when you have the smashed garbanzos prepared ahead of time, your quesadillas come together in the few minutes it takes to scramble your eggs, stack everything together, and quickly pan-fry to melt the cheese. I even do everything, from the eggs to the quesadillas themselves, in one single skillet!
There.
Looks good, doesn’t it? I may have just redeemed myself. Until tomorrow morning… wakey, WAKEY!
Smashed Garbanzo Quesadillas
For the smashed garbanzo beans:
1- 15 oz. can garbanzo beans/chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp. garlic, ground
1/2 tsp. coriander, ground
1/2 tsp. ancho chile, ground
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice of one fresh lemon
For the quesadillas:
8 large eggs
salt
black pepper, freshly ground
2 tbsp. capers
1/2 c. cherry tomatoes, halved
6 medium tortillas (I used white corn tortillas here, but you could easily substitute flour or yellow corn.)
2 c. Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
To prepare the smashed garbanzo spread, place the beans in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade and process to a coarse paste. Add remaining ingredients and process to a smooth consistency. Remove and set aside.
To prepare the eggs, heat a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over a medium flame. Whisk the eggs together in a large bowl, seasoning liberally with salt and black pepper. Once the skillet is heated, add the eggs and immediately begin stirring in a circular motion with a wooden spoon. Stir in the capers and tomatoes just as the eggs are beginning to set. Cook, continuing to stir, until the eggs are solid and cooked through. Remove to a large bowl and carefully wipe out your pan.
To assemble the quesadillas, divide the ‘hummus’ between three tortillas, spreading liberally across the surface of each. Divide the egg mixture evenly between the three, top each with a third of the cheese, and finish with the remaining tortillas. Heat your skillet over a medium-high flame and carefully add one assembled quesadilla. Cook for 2-3 minutes, applying pressure to the top tortilla as it cooks so that the cheese melts throughout; flip after 3 minutes and cook for just 2-3 minutes more. Remove, cut into quarters, and serve immediately. Repeat with remaining quesadillas. I prefer to serve these quesadillas with a spicy, tomato-based salsa.
YIELD: approximately 6 servings