Meatless Mondays: Jack Quesadillas with Pear Salsa

I'm not a big pear fan.  They have a grainy texture that I don't like.  But I do like fruit salsas and quesadillas.  So, this seemed like a winning recipe.  We have a quesadilla maker that my parents gave us.  Although it rarely gets used, on busy weeknights it can make tasty quesadillas in minutes. I ended up enjoying the pear salsa.  Mixed with all of the other ingredients the pear didn't taste as grainy as eating it by itself.  My kids are big fruit lovers so they were willing to try the salsa.  They ended up eating it as a side, rather than on the quesadilla, itself, but did eat all that I had given them. If they had their choice though, they'd just eat a plain cheese quesadilla!

Jack Quesadillas with Pear Salsa
Cooking Light, January/February 2000

Pear salsa:
4 cups chopped peeled Anjou pear (2 pounds)
1/3 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh or 2 teaspoons dried mint
1 tablespoon grated lime rind
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped

Quesadillas:
8 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1/2 cup chopped green onions

Preparation:
To prepare salsa, combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl; cover and chill.

To prepare the quesadillas, place 1 tortilla in a medium nonstick skillet over medium heat, and top with 1/2 cup cheese. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons onions; top with a tortilla. Cook 3 minutes, pressing down with a spatula until cheese melts. Turn carefully, and cook until thoroughly heated (about 1 minute). Repeat procedure with the remaining tortillas, cheese, and green onions. Cut each quesadilla into sixths; serve with pear salsa.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.