Posted on: Wednesday, December 18, 2002

QUICK AND EASY
Stuffed Tortillas

By Thayer Wine
Nashville Tennessean

For a fast dinner, try flour tortillas with an Italian twist.

You could top this stuffed tortilla with a spaghetti-type sauce or a simple marinara sauce.

1 pound ground pork or beef
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/4 cup chopped tomato
1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 (9-inch) flour tortillas
6 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 1/2 tablespoon olive oil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet or jellyroll pan with aluminum foil for easy clean-up and set aside.

In heavy, nonstick skillet, cook pork with onion and green pepper until meat is no longer pink. Add tomato, paprika, thyme, cayenne, fennel, pepper, salt and garlic. Cook until meat is done.

Place three tablespoons of the meat mixture on each tortilla, top with about one-fourth cup shredded mozzarella and roll up bottom. Glue down sides with tomato paste and brush with oil. Bake in preheated oven 10-12 minutes or until cheese is melted.

• Nutritional analysis per tortilla: 386 calories, 24 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 2 grams fiber, 21 grams fat, 64 milligrams cholesterol, 452 milligrams sodium.