Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadilla

Super simple and super delicious, I think this is now my favorite quesadilla. We like to eat quesadillas a lot, as they are so fast and easy, and how can you go wrong with a crispy flour tortilla stuffed with gooey cheese and yummy fillings? We like them with black beans and corn, cilantro-lime chicken, and spicy shrimp, but these are our newest faves. This recipe is slightly adapted from Pioneer Woman's blog.

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

2 chicken breasts

cajun seasoning

fresh or canned pineapple, cut in chunks

bbq sauce

2 c. grated cheese

10 flour tortillas

nacho jalapeno slices, optional

Sprinkle chicken liberally with seasoning, then grill or pan-fry until cooked through. Cut into strips. Layer bbq sauce, cheese, chicken, pineapple, and jalapenos on 5 of the tortillas. Top with the other 5. Cook on an electric griddle or fry pan coated with butter over medium-high heat, flipping once, until cheese is melted and tortillas are crispy. YUM!

Barley Jambalaya

I got this recipe at a healthy cooking class Dustin and I took together back at CSU. It is easy, flavorful, and healthy since it is chock full of veggies and uses whole grain barley instead of white rice. Make sure to decrease the amount of cayenne if you don't like things too spicy, as it is pretty hot as is. The kids can't handle it, and it's even a bit much for me. So half the cayenne if you think you need to.

Barley Jambalaya

2 bay leaves

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (decrease if you like things milder)

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp black pepper

1 tsp thyme

1 tb canola oil

1 c turkey ham or turkey sausage (I use turkey polska kielbasa), sliced

1 1/2 c onion, diced

1 c celery, sliced

1 c green bell pepper, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

28 oz canned tomatoes, diced, with sauce

5 c water or broth

2 c barley, uncooked

leftover cooked chicken, optional (I never use this)

Preheat oven to 350. Mix together 1st 6 ingredients (spices) and set aside. Heat oil in large oven-proof saucepot or dutch oven. Cook onions, celery, bell pepper, garlic, and meats for 5-10 minutes, stirring. Add tomatoes, water or broth and barley. Mix and bring to boil, stirring often. Add spices and any leftover chicken, stir, and cover. Place in oven and cook for about 30-40 minutes, or until almost all liquid is absorbed. Remove bay leaves before serving. Serves 6.

Caramel Dip

Delicious on cold, crisp apples, this dip is perfect for fall. It can also be used as a caramel sauce for ice cream and other desserts. Package in jelly jars for a cute gift. YUM!

Caramel Dip

1 c. real butter

2 c. brown sugar

1 c. light corn syrup

1 can sweetened condensed milk

dash salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Mix butter, brown sugar, corn syrup, condensed milk and salt in medium saucepan. Bring to a boil and boil for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix in vanilla. If using as a sauce, reduce boiling time to 3 minutes. Keep covered in refrigerator and reheat as needed. Makes about 4 1/2 cups.