Quick and easy lentil quesadillas

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE SAUCE

• 1 28 ounce can diced tomatoes
• half a yellow onion
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon oil

FOR THE QUESADILLAS

• 1 cup uncooked brown or green lentils, rinsed
• 1 cup uncooked brown rice, rinsed
• 2 1/2 cups vegetable broth
• 16 flour tortillas
• 3-4 cups shredded Pepperjack cheese
• a few tablespoons butter (optional)

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INSTRUCTIONS

1. Sauce: Blend all the sauce ingredients together in a blender or food processor until mostly smooth.
2. Filling: Place the rice, lentils, sauce, and broth in a slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 4-6 hours or low for 6-7 hours until soft. (Brown rice takes a long time to cook – when in doubt, let it cook longer!)
3. Assemble: Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Layer the following: tortilla, 1/4 cup cheese, 1/2 cup filling, 1/4 cup cheese, tortilla. Spread the outsides of the tortillas with butter and fry on each side for 3-5 minutes until golden brown. Remove from heat and let stand for a few minutes (they’ll hold together better). Cut and serve! 

NOTES

If you have any extra filling, it freezes really well.
If you don’t have a blender, just cut the onions and garlic into small pieces and stir all the sauce ingredients together.
If you want, you can make this on the stovetop or in a rice cooker. Just simmer or cook until the rice and lentils are soft. It took me two or three rounds in the rice cooker to get the brown rice cooked, so if you want it to be done faster, I’d use white rice.
For more spice, add a jalapeño or a chipotle pepper to the sauce! I did that a few times. Yummy.