A speedy delicious dinner using one of the coolest ingredients out there… KIMCHI! Cheesy, creamy, 4 Ingredient Kimchi Avocado Quesadillas is what’s for dinner!
I’m officially a full time stay-at-home mom of 2 littles under 3 🙃 (man that’s a mouth-full) The hubs is back at the office and it’s just me and my posse.
Day 4 on the job and this is what I know so far…
- 1 main activity a day keeps everyone happy and sane
- Quiet time for my toddler is a must
- Easy meals make dinner time possible
A big challenge with having a toddler and a baby is keeping the toddler entertained while I care for the baby. Which is why having 1 activity planned everyday makes life is 1 million times better.
Secondly, my toddler is done with naps 😳 And although I really miss the 2-3 hours I use to get to myself, she goes to bed better at night without a nap. So everyday, she does an hour or so of “quiet time.”
Ironically, quiet time is anything but quiet. Basically she drinks a little milk, reads out load, sings, does toddler acrobatics over her bed, and talks a lot! But that’s just fine. Because it means I get 1 glorious hour to focus on me the baby.
And the last thing making life easier are fast nutritious dinners. Before having Bean, I’d probably an average of 30-45 min on dinner most nights. The hubs would entertain Poppy and I’d get time to make dinner.
But with 2 kids, making dinner is chaotic to say the least. Nowadays if I can get away with 15-20 min dinners, I’m happy.
Which brings me to these quesadillas… a 15-20 min dinner with just 4 ingredients that is freaken delicious! What makes it so stellar is one star ingredient.
KIMCHI! The national staple of Korea.
Essentially kimchi is fermented veggies. Normally with a cabbage base. The awesome thing about kimchi is the taste it lends to the simplest meals. Some kimchis are really spicy and some more mild.
Great news is that kimchi is literally everywhere right now! Go to most grocery stores (normally in the refrigerated veggie section) and you are bound to find a local jar of kimchi!
Personally I LOVE You Betcha Kimchi! A local company making insanely tasty and complex kimchi with local Minnesota veggies in mild, medium or hot!
Once you buy your jar of kimchi, all you need is a ripe avocado, shredded cheese a flour tortilla. That’s seriously it!
Saute a little kimchi to soften it up a little. Smash the avocado, spread it on the tortilla, add a little kimchi and cheese. Grill the quesadillas, grab a cold one, and dig in!
In 15 minutes, dinner is served, our sanity is maintained and our bellies are full!
Disclaimer: my toddler doesn’t like kimchi (although she has never tried it). So she normally just has a cheese quesadilla.
2 quesadillas
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup kimchi, drained and chopped
- 2 flour tortillas (gluten-free tortillas if desired)
- 1 ½ cup medium cheddar cheese, shredded (vegan if desired)
- 1/2 avocado, peeled, pitted
- A dash of lemon juice
- salt and pepper to taste
- Optional:1 tablespoon green onions, chopped
Instructions
- Drain kimchi for 3 minutes in a colander. Squeeze out excess moisture with your hand. Then chop the kimchi and set aside.
- Add oil in a cast iron or non-stick skillet over medium high heat. Spread an even layer of kimchi on the skillet. Cook and stir for 5 minutes. Remove from pan. Wipe off skillet with a paper towel.
- In a small bowl, smash the avocado with a fork. Add a dash of lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well.
- Spread half of the smashed avocado on half of a tortilla.
- Heat skillet over medium high heat. Place the tortilla (avocado side up) on the skillet. Carefully add half of the kimchi mixture and green onions over the avocado. Lastly add cheese and fold the tortilla over (like an omelette) with a spatula. Press down lightly with the spatula.
- After 3-4 minutes, once the tortilla is lightly browned, flip quesadilla to the other side. Cook for another minute or so. Each side of the tortilla will be nicely browned. If it’s not, flip it again and cook it a little longer.
- Repeat the same process with the other tortilla.
- Cut into triangles and serve.
Notes
You can find kimchi in almost all grocery stores these days. If you can't find it, check near the refrigerated section near the tofu. Also be mindful of the spice level of the kimchi. If you can't handle too much spice, use less kimchi in the quesadillas. If you want to add more to this quesadilla, shredded chicken is a winner!
Originally posted 2017-12-11 10:00:00.
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