Who doesn't love quesadillas?

While it seems to me that more and more people are adopting a vegetarian (even vegan) lifestyle, I have seen a similar increase in the number of seemingly intelligent adults who say to me:

"I don't like vegetables."

Really? What are we...kindergarteners?

I had one acquaintance lift her Bloody Mary at lunch and say, "Here are my vegetables." (Wait, I think I have the number for AA somewhere in my files.) Another said she thinks of vegetables as a punishment since her mother always made her eat her vegetables before she could have dessert when she was a kid. (OK, I think we have some issues with mom and/or authority...let me find that number for a shrink I know.) One guy I met said it has been so long since he ate a vegetable that he was pretty sure his body would reject any attempt to introduce them now. (It's never too late, folks.)

I know I'm preaching to the choir here at Vegetarian On A Budget, but I had to vent.

Despite all the evidence that vegetables are healthy, contain antioxidants, can treat things like high blood pressure or high cholesterol...even slow down aging, there are people out there that are saying they won't eat something that comes from a plant.

Never mind that veggies just plain taste great!

OK, so I'm a vegetarian and I'm probably never going to get it, so we move on...

Here's a way to try to make veggies more palatable to those anti-plant-based-diet people to expand their horizons. Quesadillas...who doesn't like quesadillas? They are inexpensive (this recipe is less than 75 cents per serving) and crispy and creamy (not like the donuts) all at the same time. What's not to love. 

I made my recipe with eggplants, but zucchini or yellow squash would work equally well.

Veggie Quesadillas

juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon of datil pepper sauce or a spicy pepper puree
1/2 teaspoons of kosher salt
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and pressed through a garlic press
1 medium eggplant, trimmed, and thinly sliced lengthwise

1 medium onion, peeled and sliced into wide strips
1 red pepper, cut into wide strips
12 whole grain (or whatever kind you like) tortillas
1/2 pound grated cheese(vegan cheese works just as well)
Cilantro leaves, washed and dried
Toppings (like salsa) for serving

• Preheat your grill to high.
• Whisk together the dressing of lime juice, olive oil, pepper puree salt, and garlic.
• Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on a large, rimmed baking sheet, and pour half the dressing over them, turning them to coat the slices evenly.
• Turn the grill down to medium-low and roast the veggies, turning them and adjusting the heat as necessary, until they are completely tender, 10-12 minutes.
• When you take them off the heat, dress them with the rest of the lime juice mixture, and set aside.
• Heat a large pan over medium-high heat, and lay half of the tortillas into it. Divide the cheese over them, top with the remaining tortillas, and cook until the bottoms are golden and crisp. Flip them, and cook until the tortillas are crisp and the cheese is melted.
• Open the quesadillas and divide the cilantro and grilled veggies among them, cutting the vegetables as necessary to fit, then quarter the quesadillas and serve with your favorite toppings.

Vegetarian.