Italian "Quesadilla"

Rather than pursuing some sort of gratification by means of shopping for clothes, jewelry, or make-up; I would much prefer shopping for food to satisfy my personal indulgences.
For me, food is all about the color, the intensity, or the glow. I feel that an ambiance generous with fresh greens, hot reds, earthy browns, and glittering yellows are a private and exclusive thrill. Don't get me wrong. Although I love buying clothes, make-up, and jewelry (I am a girl), I feel emancipated from worries such as searching for the "perfect" color or finding the "right" fit when buying these materials. None of these burdens exist when you are in a food market.

What does exist, is the favorable circumstances to have a stab (sometimes quite literally) at becoming an innovator, or a pioneer when you create food that captivates your taste buds. This brings me to the point, why would you ever sacrifice that opportunity by telling yourself that you cannot have certain food?
I find the whole idea zany and ludicrous.
I won't be embracing the idea of cutting specific foods out of your diet and quite frankly I neglect it. So, please allow me to babble on.

One of the most voluptuous ingredients I love buying and experimenting with is (cue harmonious melody) cheese. Whoever told you cannot have cheese in any shape or form on a healthy diet should be arrested. I adore the gorgeous silky, creamy, and salty taste and texture that cheese can add to a mundane dish. There aren't very many ingredients I know of that have all three flavor components enveloped in one ingredient like cheese.
Yes, it is true that cheese has fat (stop being a girl and eat it). Here's the real problem, you must be thinking that the fat in cheese is such a colossal amount that it just might send you to the E.R., if you happen to snag a bite.
Let me present you my solution. Add this to your food I.Q. Chant with me, "Yes I will eat cheese, and I promise not to eat the whole wedge." For me, that's really what it's about. Enjoy the so called "forbidden" foods in rational yet pampering amounts. Please stop telling yourself you cannot have a particular food. That is disgraceful.

I am not too fond of the term "portion control", but it really does boil down to this. I feel it causes people to think primarily of their limits. I allow portion control to be of importance because I choose to eat well--but I don't allow it to be the ultimate factor or final decision when I choose what I want to eat. It is a negative way to think and you cannot possibly live that way. Think of the more innocent age when people didn't commit all of their energy into calculating calories or worrying about fat content in their food. Since this age is more informed and curious, have fat content on a pedestal in the back drop, but put your appetite center stage. I believe you can do both and still eat well.

Satisfy your cravings. Take the mystery out of the various cheeses available in the market by trying them. A recommended serving size is one ounce of cheese, it sounds like a miniscule amount, but I truly believe that the asset of cheese is that it melts beautifully and is able to hit a vast perimeter of your dish. And of course the same effect goes for your taste buds as well.

Now that I got that philosophical rant off my chest, you and I can now lie back and guzzle on this next recipe to our hearts content.

Italian "Quesadilla" serves 1
Americans definitely did not wait to swindle this fantastic recipe from the food loving Latinos. For me quesadillas are toasted cheese sandwiches such as you might eat in heaven. This recipe is adapted from the lovely Giada de Laurentiis. I love her books, her food, and her. These Italian Quesadillas are full of bright red fire roasted bell peppers, sweet caramelized white onions, a hit of fresh green from the parsley, and gooey Italian Fontina cheese all encased in a brown crispy griddled shell. The fantastic thing about quesadillas is that the options are pretty well endless, and they leave room for personal embellishment.

Ingredients
1 tsp olive oil
1 medium size white onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp sugar
1 (8-inch diameter) Whole Wheat tortillas
1/2 cup jarred roasted red bell peppers, take them out of the jar, and dry them with paper towels to soak the jar liquid off
1/4 cup shredded Italian fontina cheese
1 tablespoon shredded Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon flat leaf Italian parsley
Salt, and pepper to taste

Directions
Heat the oil in a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add onions and sugar, and cook until the onions are golden brown. About 5-7 minutes. They could be done earlier, just check to see if the onions are translucent and brown on the edges. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Assembling
Lay out the tortilla on the cutting board and sprinkle one half of it with the half of shredded Fontina cheese. Arrange the bell peppers over the cheese. Next, add the sauteed onions on top of the bell peppers. Sprinkle over the parsley and Parmesan cheese. Next, add the remaining Fontina on top. Fold the other clean half of the tortilla over and gently seal the tortilla. It won't completely seal until the cheese melts in the pan.

Using the same pan you used to carmelize the onions, either drizzle some more olive oil or spray non-stick cooking spray and cook the quesadilla. Until the cheese melts and each side is golden brown. 3 minutes per side. This is rather quick so be careful--I almost burned them. Same heat as before, medium high is good to cook them. If you find they are browning too fast to your liking, crank the heat down to medium-low. After 3 minutes, flip over and brown the other side.

Transfer to a plate, and cut in to half if desired.

Scarf away.

Shopping note:
Fontina cheese is quite expensive in Chicago, but I found fantastic prices at Aldi's. If you have an Aldi's in your area, I suggest you go and see their selection first. I spent $2.99 each on a wedge of quality Fontina and aged Parmesan cheese. Compared to other grocery stores here, $2.99 is a very attractive price. They have several choices. From Gorgonzola all the way to Gouda. I was definitely cheesin' when I saw that much cheese. You can call it a frugal decadance. Enjoy my friends!

All things in moderation...