Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas with Roasted Parmesan Broccoli

Good news: I may have discovered my new favourite way to eat broccoli. It turns out that roasted broccoli with Parmesan is simple, crisp around the edges, deeply flavourful, and far more exciting than the usual steamed version.

We had a head of broccoli in the fridge that was clearly ready to be used. I briefly considered making broccoli cheese soup or a creamy chicken and broccoli dish, but neither idea really grabbed me. I do like broccoli, though I rarely feel inspired by it. On a vegetable and dip tray, I usually reach for it because those little green “trees” hold plenty of dip, and eating them makes me feel just a little virtuous. The dip may cancel out some of that virtue, but that is another issue entirely.

While thinking about dinner, I realized that my favourite way to cook most vegetables is to roast them. Roasting brings out sweetness, adds texture, and turns even ordinary vegetables into something more interesting. For some reason, though, I had never roasted broccoli before. I cut the head into fairly small florets, chopped the stalk into pieces, tossed everything with oil, spread it out on a baking sheet, and roasted it at 450F for about 20 minutes.

After the broccoli had started to brown and crisp, I grated a little fresh Parmesan over the top and slid the pan back into the oven for another 5 minutes or so. The result was wonderful: tender stems, crisp edges, salty cheese, and a deeper flavour than I expected from such a simple side dish. It may have helped that I was hungry and managed not to snack while making dinner, but even so, this was easily some of the best broccoli I have ever eaten. Next time, I think a little garlic would be perfect with it.

Easy Chicken and Black Bean Quesadillas

While the broccoli was roasting, I made chicken and black bean quesadillas. Quesadillas may not be new or trendy, but they are exactly the kind of quick dinner that works when you have leftovers to use. We had extra whole wheat tortillas, a small bag of leftover chopped chicken, and a modest piece of old cheddar. It was just enough cheese to hold everything together without turning the meal into a full-on indulgence.

Normally, I would have opened a can of black beans, but I had some seasoned beans on hand with garlic, onion, and peppers. They made an easy filling and added plenty of flavour without extra work. I layered the chicken, beans, and cheddar onto each tortilla, folded them over, and cooked them until the outside was crisp and the filling was warm and gooey. Once they were done, we scooped up as much salsa as each wedge could reasonably handle.

We each ate one folded quesadilla, meaning one tortilla folded over rather than two tortillas stacked together. That was enough for dinner, especially alongside the roasted Parmesan broccoli. I did have to distract myself afterward while my stomach caught up with my brain, because once I start nibbling in the late afternoon, I can easily keep grazing until bedtime. This time, I stopped. Small victories count.

A Note About Tortillas

Using flour tortillas does not automatically make a meal healthier or lower in carbohydrates than using another kind of bread. Wraps were once marketed as a lighter choice, but they are still bread, just unleavened and rolled thin. Imagine flattening a slice of sandwich bread with a rolling pin; it may look different, but it is not a free pass. Whole wheat tortillas can be useful and tasty, but they are still part of the meal, not something that disappears nutritionally.

A Very Real Life Update

In other news, it seems I really did have the Norwalk virus earlier in the week. The name sounds much more dramatic than “stomach flu,” and honestly, the experience felt dramatic enough to deserve a proper title. It also explains why I spent part of Monday feeling as though I might expire right there in the bathroom.

Now I am wondering how many people I may have come into contact with before realizing what it was. Health advice says a person can remain contagious for several days after symptoms are gone, and sometimes longer. So does that mean I should avoid the gym for a while and not sweat all over the equipment? Probably. Annoying, but probably wise.

And as I sit here typing, Lou has been politely getting down from the couch every so often to be sick on the floor. Which raises another question I had not expected to consider today: can dogs get the Norwalk virus? Dinner may have been a success, but the rest of the household is clearly still a work in progress.