dear cooks,

What most of us home cooks need more than anything is realistic advice and recipes for getting weeknight dinners on the table—at least a few times a week. In Robin Rescues Dinner, the host of Food Network's Quick Fix Meals does just that. She's got 52 weeks of Quick-Fix Meals, 350 recipes, and plenty of tricks and hints for making the most of what you have—including leftovers. There's lots of doubling up (i.e., making more so you can freeze half for another week), morphing (using leftovers or extras from one meal to make another, including how to get the most out of a rotisserie chicken), and instant meals (preplanned fast dinners that can be made with pantry ingredients or something picked up from the market on your way home from work). Beyond that, Robin also offers optional quick sides and desserts, so you can extend a meal to serve five instead of four when you suddenly have an unexpected guest. Each recipe is introduced with a simple prep list, so you won't spend time poring over it to figure out what you need to buy or do to get a great meal on your table ASAP!

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Steak Quesadillas with Spinach and Caramelized Onions and Chunky Ranch Guacamole

Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

We love quesadillas in our house, so I'm always creating a new version. This simple combination contains tortillas stuffed with steak, cheese, spinach, and caramelized onions. What takes them over the top is the guacamole on the side—an awesome (and ridiculously simple) blend of avocados, ranch dressing, lime juice, tomato, and cilantro.

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 cup sliced yellow or red onion
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 2 ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and coarsely chopped
• 1⁄4 cup prepared ranch dressing
• 2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
• 1⁄2 cup diced ripe beefsteak or plum tomato
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, to taste
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking spray
• 4 8- to 10-inch flour tortillas
• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 2 cups baby spinach leaves
• Reserved cooked steak slices (or 3 to 4 cups sliced cooked steak or chicken)

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and sugar and cook for 7 to 8 minutes, until the onion is soft and golden brown.

2. Meanwhile, to make the guacamole, in a medium bowl, combine the avocado, ranch dressing, and lime juice. Mash with a fork until blended. Stir in the tomato and cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

3. Coat a stovetop griddle or large skillet with cooking spray and heat over medium-high heat.

4. Arrange the tortillas on a flat surface. Top half of each tortilla with shredded cheese, spinach, reserved steak, and caramelized onions. Fold over the un-topped side, making a half moon. Place the quesadillas on the hot pan and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side, until the tortillas are golden brown and the cheese melts.

5. Serve the quesadillas with the guacamole on the side.

happy cooking!