K’s Kitchen: Hot Spinach Tortilla

By Kathryn Reed

It seems like as the weather gets warmer, I want to eat less or not at all. The less part wouldn’t hurt me, the not at all isn’t the healthiest of choices.

There are just those days when all the “regulars” sound boring and opening a cookbook sounds way too involved.

When all of these thoughts and sentiments collide I tend to look in the fridge, freezer and cupboards to come up with something that might even qualify as nutritious. A consecutive day of tater tots was probably not going to do my body good.

This is how the recipe below came about. It’s quick and easy, too – definite added bonuses. Because it’s fast, it means not heating the house up for long on hot days. (I was already baking, so heating up the house further with the stove was irrelevant at that point.)

To make it a bit healthier, skip the cream cheese or even skip the tortilla. It would make an excellent side dish. It could also be used as a topping for rice or pasta. Eating it alone as a midday snack would work, too.

I like buying spinach in large quantities and then using it in different dishes. It’s great cooked or raw in a salad. The nutritional value of spinach is incredible.

The basil came from the backyard. Herbs are one of the easiest things to grow in Tahoe. I have basil, cilantro, spearmint, rosemary and dill all in a half wine barrel. It’s not too late to start your herb garden.

I had chive-onion cream cheese in the house, so that’s what I used. Any kind would be fine. Light cream will help with the fat-calorie in-take.

Hot Spinach Tortilla

Olive oil

1 red onion, chopped

5 cloves garlic, minced

½ lb. fresh spinach

Handful basil leaves, chopped

4 oz. roasted red peppers, chopped

4 tortillas

Cream cheese

Coat pan with olive oil. Once hot, add onion and garlic. Over medium-high heat sauté until onion is slightly opaque. Add handfuls of spinach. Stir. As spinach wilts, keep adding more handfuls until all of it is in the pan. When the spinach is mostly wilted, add red pepper and basil. Add some of the liquid from the peppers if need be. Stir more to meld flavors. Remove from heat.

Heat tortillas. Spread thin layer of cream cheese on tortilla. Add as much spinach mixture as you like. Fold like you are eating a burrito.