THE PINK SHOE COOKBOOK

it's hard to come up with new appetizers for your dinner party/cocktail party/any-kind-of-party-involving-food. cheese & crackers? check. veggies and dip? check. maybe even some hummus and pita to mix it up? check.


but it's rare that i come across something that is not only unique, and not only sounds delicious, but seems relatively easy to make.

and i like when recipes involve two things i would never on my own think of putting together.

i was reading Alisa's blog over at HalfFullHalfEmpty.com, and she mentioned making these incredible sounding pear and brie quasadillas (pear + brie = shocking!)

i was intrigued and emailed her right away, asking her if she would mind sharing the recipe, and she, being the nice lady she is, obliged me. and now i, being the nice lady that i am, am obliging you all.

Pear and Brie Quesadillas with Lime-Honey Dipping Sauce

Sauce:
2 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon grated lime rind

Quesadillas:
1 cup thinly sliced peeled firm ripe pears (about 2 large)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
1 teaspoon brown sugar
3 ounces Brie cheese, thinly sliced
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
Chive strips (optional)

To prepare sauce, combine first 3 ingredients, stirring with a whisk; set aside.


To prepare quesadillas, combine pears, 1 tablespoon chives, and sugar, tossing gently to coat.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.


Arrange one-fourth of cheese and one-fourth of pear mixture over half of each tortilla; fold tortillas in half.

Coat pan with cooking spray.

Place 2 quesadillas in pan; cook 2 minutes on each side or until tortillas are lightly browned and crisp.

Remove from pan; keep warm. Repeat procedure with remaining quesadillas.



Cut each quesadilla into 3 wedges; serve with sauce. Garnish with chive strips, if desired.



Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 2 quesadilla wedges and about 1 teaspoon sauce)

CALORIES 157(23% from fat); FAT 4g (sat 2.5g,mono 1.2g,poly 0.1g); PROTEIN 5.3g; CHOLESTEROL 14mg; CALCIUM 30mg; SODIUM 316mg; FIBER 0.7g; IRON 0.9mg; CARBOHYDRATE 25.5g Cooking Light, JUNE 2005