Inexpensive, Quick Summer Meals

I just moved to Indiana to return to school, and when I heard there was a weekly summer farmer's market, I made it a priority to go my first week here.  Not only do you find top quality produce and support your local farmers, but you usually get some insane deals.  I got all kinds of delicious fruits and veggies, including farm-fresh tomatoes and raspberries...some of my favorites!  And while I'm sure I could develop a billion fancy feasts with my fully-stocked fridge, neither my boyfriend or I had the energy to cook a real meal on a 90-degree day.  We ended up making something super tasty and fairly quick to throw together, which sometime seems impossible on those endlessly hot days in July and August.  Here's the menu:

EASY MICROWAVE QUESADILLAS

2 corn tortillas (per quesadilla...we each had 2 quesadillas)
1 handful shredded cheese (store-bought will save you time and washing a grater, but its more $)
1 cooked chicken tenderloin (see below)
1 tsp chopped red onion 
1 wedge fresh lime
any other veggies or condiments you might want to include, such as salsa, cilantro, corn, etc.  

The first thing to tackle would be the chicken.  If you want an even quicker meal, you can use canned beans for protein instead of meat.  But we had a whole bag of frozen chicken tenderloins, so we figured we'd better use them.  Make sure to at least salt and pepper each tenderloin before cooking them...this seals in and enhances the flavor of the meat.  We also added a little garlic powder and cayenne pepper for zest.  I'd add seasoning to beans before adding them too, otherwise they'll probably be a little bland.  Then assemble the ingredients between the tortillas (except the lime) and microwave until the cheese is melted.  That's pretty much it!

RASPBERRY AND GOAT CHEESE SALAD

3 torn romaine lettuce leaves (approx)
1 handful red raspberries
2 tsp chopped red onion
1 oz. goat cheese
choice of dressing to taste (see below for my lemon honey mustard vinaigrette)

It's a salad...you know what to do!  Although, those of us who suffer from soy allergies have a tough time with bottled salad dressing.  This recipe is my favorite...give it a try!

LEMON HONEY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE
1/2 fresh lemon
2 tsp olive oil
1-2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp honey (I used local honey I got from the Farmer's Market!  NOTE that local honey can help combat seasonal allergies!) 
Salt and pepper to taste

ENJOY!!!!