just make yerself a dang quesa-dilla!

When all else fails, then you go for the quesadilla. If you're lucky, they might add veggies inside. And if you're double lucky, then they might remember NOT to add the chicken when you ask.

It's not so bad, I suppose, the quesadilla. Tortilla, cheese, some veggies. No wait, that's what's so bad. I mean, they taste good; that's why when you're 13 and you discover the wonder of melted cheese inside crispy tortillas you embrace them with such gusto. But undoubtedly, the tortillas are trans-fat-laden. I know this for several reasons:

1. only New York and California have banned transfats in restaurants
2. only transfat flour tortillas get that nice crisp when you fry them. It's much harder to get that texture from the healthy variety. And don't even think about the whole grain variety. Uh uh.

And besides the TF problem, they are super cheesy. Which is good if you heart cheese. Which I do. In my mind. But when you're a bit lactose intolerant, then that much cheese is, frankly, just wrong.

But you can come to terms with them because of the guacamole and the salsa: if you can't get veggies inside, at least you're getting some tomato and avocado. Right??? Well, unless your guac is the Kraft variety, which actually doesn't have any avocado in it. Which brings me back to my first point: when all else fails.

I usually only go this route when I'm at a bar, looking for a snack, and I'm facing toasted raviolis (which, by the way, someone tried to recently convince me were stuffed with spinach! the nerve!), chicken fingers, or fried cheese (again, tasty, but hard on the body). Lately I've done this a lot it seems. Here's my ranking:

1) First place goes to the Irish pub downtown (the other Dubliner), Tigin's. These were quite yummy: pepper cheese and lots of fresh garden veggies inside, including tiny tomatoes, but not on tortillas. Nope, in true Irish fashion, they were grilled on boxtys, which are potato pancakes. Amazing! 2) Second place is the Cheesecake Factory. I asked them to add veggies to their cheese quesadilla and they stuffed it with some really nice corn succotash. I actually had to purchase a side of corn succotash and then they stuffed it in, but it worked out!

3) Felix's. oy. Felix's is good for one thing: the chocolate covered strawberry martini. Which is not a veggie quesadilla. But the two went hand-in-hand ok for a work happy hour. You do what you gotta.I'm going to think of some interesting, easy to produce, healthful, tasty suggestions for bars to include on their menu and then send them all a postcard. Perhaps it will go something like this:

Dear happy hour locale:

Please consider adding any of the following for your happy hour menu:

• asian veggies and a sesame-tahini dip
• fresh spring rolls with cucumber, carrots, lettuce, sprouts, you name it!
• fresh hummus with whole-grain pita
• bruschetta with mushrooms, tomatoes, and/or roasted red pepper. oh and roasted garlic. maybe beets and goat cheese, too
• baked sweet potato fries
• edamame.

I appreciate it!

Signed,
Megfood.

Just a thought! They might not be thrilling options, but they would be a far superior choice to us near-vegans out there when happy houring. Seriously.

In the mean time, if you are a die-hard quesadilla fan, then I did happen upon a fabulous quesailla recipe that I make myself sometimes. If you're in the mood, try it.

• whole-grain transfat-free tortillas
• fresh corn cut off the cob
• yellow onion
• baby spinach
• mozzarella, grated
  

1. Just saute the veggies (make a generous amount)
2. throw them on a tortilla laying flat in a dry, hot skillet
3. sprinkle with a tiny amount of cheese--just enough to bind it
4. cover with another tortilla
5. heat till melty and crispy
6. flip
7. voila!

Amazing!

• whole grains? check
• protein? check
• iron, fiber, other nutrients? check.

did you add real avocados and tomatoes?

• then lycopene, vitamin C, healthy fats, check.

you catch my drift.

I bet these aren't the kind that Napoleon Dynamite made, though. His were probably cheesier.