You can let your oven do the work for these crunchy, vegetarian quesadillas. They’re filled with goat cheese and red kidney beans flavored with cumin and fresh cilantro.

Placing your baking tray in the oven while it preheats means that when you add the tortillas the bottom layers will be crisp. I used a food processor to quickly mix the filling ingredients. Avocado tossed with lettuce adds a refreshing finish to the meal.

The heat of the salsa is up to you.

Jarlsberg or cheddar cheese can be substituted for Monterey Jack.

1 cup chopped fresh green bell pepper can be used instead of frozen green bell pepper.

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Stacked Goat Cheese Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS

2 ounces goat cheese (about 4 tablespoons)

2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 cup frozen diced green bell pepper

1/2 cup reduced-sodium red kidney beans, drained and rinsed

4 8-inch light flour tortillas

1/4 cup shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese

1/4 cup tomato salsa, divided between two small bowls

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking tray with foil and place it in the oven while oven preheats. Mix goat cheese, cumin, cilantro and green bell pepper together in a bowl. Mix in the kidney beans. Place two tortillas on a countertop and spread the goat cheese mixture over them. Cover with the remaining 2 tortillas and sprinkle the Monterey Jack cheese over the top. Bake 10 minutes or until the filling is hot and cheese is bubbly.

Remove tray from oven and place tortillas on a cutting board. Cut them in half and then in quarters. Divide the quarters between two dinner plates. Serve with the salsa for either dipping or adding to the top of the quesadillas. Yield 2 servings.

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Avocado Lettuce Salad

INGREDIENTS

1 small avocado

2 cups washed, ready-to-eat lettuce

1 tablespoon reduced-fat salad dressing

DIRECTIONS

Cut the avocado in half around the seed and remove the seed. Remove the skin and cut into cubes. Divide the lettuce between 2 dinner plates and add the avocado cubes on top. Drizzle with the dressing. Yield 2 servings.

Recipes by Linda Gassenheimer/Tribune News Service