PFMs in the Kitchen: Grilled Goat Cheese & Olive Quesadillas

 Summertime, and the livin's easy...for a Memorial Day backyard BBQ I went the simple route with a vegetarian dish that could be prepped in advance and grilled in foil. I'm definitely not the only one who likes to put food in foil to steer clear of meat juices; or maybe you just stake claim on a "meat-free" area of the grill? Haha. Inspiration for the recipe hit in the form of a new book that I'm reading (it's awesome, more on that later) Crazy Sexy Diet. My quesadilla variation is not dairy-free, but it's still healthy and indulgent. I especially love me some goat cheese combined with fresh tomatoes! I've included the original option* below for filling which is cheese-free...you can choose based on your dietary preference. This recipe serves 6-12, perfect for that 4th of July party you're planning! 

You need:

 6 large flour tortillas

10 ounces goat cheese

2 large yellow onions

3 tbsp olive oil

3 large tomatoes

 kalamata olives, (9 olives per tortilla) pitted & halved

How to:

1. Slice the onions thin and caramelize them in the olive oil. If you want to save time- do this in advance, put them in a bowl to cool, then cover and keep at room temp until needed.

2. Lay a large sheet of heavy-duty foil on a flat surface. Put the tortilla in the center of the foil. Spread cheese on one half of the tortilla. Add the onions, tomatoes, and olives evenly. 

3. Fold the tortilla over in half.  Then bring the short ends of the foil together and fold twice to seal. Fold in the sides to seal around the tortilla, leaving room for steam. 

4. Grill over medium heat, turning once, about 5 minutes total. It should be golden and crispy. 

Be prepared for instant obsession...I found myself making these again the next day!

*dairy-free filling (a la Crazy Sexy Diet book) serves 1-2

1 large flour tortilla

4 ounces Follow Your Heart vegan cheese or Daiya cheese

3 ounces carmelized onions

2 ounces roasted red peppers

8 kalamata olives, halved

PFMs on the Town: Happy Weekend!

photo by PSV

I'm ready for the weekend to begin! Tomorrow we are heading out east once again to the North Fork wineries with some close friends and family...we've had this planned for a while and I'm so glad the weather is looking fantastic for the occasion. Yay! I can't wait to relax and soak up some rays with people I love. Here's the rundown of our fave vineyards on Long Island, in no particular order: Bedell, Borghese, Paumanok, and Jamesport. There's more where these came from...so don't hesitate to ask if you live in the area and you're interested in planning a trip out there.  With that, I wanted to share a couple of links that have inspired me lately. 

Love these hairstyle ideas...being that I have lots 'o hair I'm the perfect candidate...just gotta make some extra time for beauty!

Spring & summer perfection in a dress. If this dress was in my closet I would definitely be styling it up tomorrow for wine-tasting.

This book is on it's way to me, I can't wait to dive in. My body is telling me to up the juice and veggie intake...and I'm listening.

Now I am officially unplugging from the computer to spend time in the great outdoors. Hope you enjoy your weekend too!

PFM Obsession: E. L. James' 50 Shades of Grey

have you heard of this book (actually it's a trilogy)?  are you reading or finished reading it?  i am 3/4 of the way through the first book and i can't put it down.  let's discuss!