One thing I miss about summer, besides the hot weather, is the abundance of fruit! Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, and peaches would fill my grocery cart every week. Now the produce section is full of apples, cantaloupe, kiwi, and bananas. It’s not that I don’t like these winter fruits, but winter lasts a long time here, and I tend to get sick of those fruits by February.
There is one fruit I love that is just coming into season, and that is pears! They are sweet, juicy, and delicious. Plus, they are extremely healthy for you:
- they contain antioxidants and vitamin C to help you have a strong immune system
- pears contain a lot of fiber, which is essential for a healthy digestive system
- pears contain folate, which is essential for pregnant and nursing moms
This past summer, I shared with you a couple of fruit filled quesadillas: Grilled Chicken and Pineapple and Chicken and Peach. But now that my outdoor grill is covered in snow, I thought I would make a quesadilla indoors using pears as my fruit of choice.
I like to incorporate at least one meatless meal into our weekly meal plan, and this Pear and Spinach Quesadilla is perfect. Of course, you could always add some grilled chicken breast to it if you wanted to.
Caramelizing the pears in cinnamon and brown sugar makes this the perfect winter meal. Plus the addition of spinach adds even more health benefits!
But my favorite addition to this quesadilla is the pecans! Nuts pair so well with cheese and fruit, don’t ya think?!
Now, you might read through the ingredients and think, “my kids would never eat that!” Then perhaps you should read the post I wrote on Wednesday about picky eaters 
That being said, I don’t expect all kids to love a garlic sauce smothered all over their quesadilla. So what can you do? Use plain ol’ mozzarella cheese on their quesadillas instead of the garlic-ricotta sauce. But don’t take out the spinach!
So the next time you’re looking for a light but extremely flavorful meal, make this Pear and Spinach Quesadilla.
Recipe adapted from Family Favorites
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled light goat cheese
- 2 Tbsp fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp minced garlic
- pinch of sea salt and pepper
- 2 large ripe pears, seeded and thinly sliced
- 2 tsp brown sugar
- pinch of ground cinnamon
- 4 large whole wheat tortillas
- 1 cup baby spinach leaves
- 1/4 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, goat cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk together with a wire whisk until combined (you could also put all ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth.) Set aside.
Spray a skillet with olive oil spray and heat over medium heat. Saute the pears, sugar, and cinnamon for 5 minutes, or until the pears are tender and glazed with the sugar.
Divide the cheese spread evenly among the four tortillas. Arrange the pears on one-half of each of the tortillas. Top with the spinach and pecans. Fold each tortilla in half.
Lightly coat a grill pan with olive oil spray. Heat over medium-high heat. Grill the tortillas for 2 minutes per side or until hot all the way through.
Place on a dinner plate and cut in half. Serve.
Notes
Cal: 304 Fat: 11g Protein: 9g Fiber: 6g Sodium: 284mg Sugar: 13g
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Love this! Looks really delicious – I love the combo of pears with cheese and nuts.
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