Wednesday, Sep 8th - Quesadillas and Super Slaw on a busy 'School Night'

Quesadilla Ingredients

I really felt like pizza's tonight.  It was D go at cooking but I really felt like pizzas.  More accurately, I wanted cheese!  We had an engagement later in the evening so we had to be able to have dinner pretty quick so Pizza was probably not in scope.  I opted for the next best thing, Quesadillas.  Not to sound like a sound bite from Heathly Living or something but if you do alot of Mexican cuisine right, and by right I mean NOT the 99c value meal at Taco Bell, it can be incredibly healthy.  I do not like the idea that because of that Pepsi run behemoth it tends to be categorised in the mass market as junk food.  In some ways that's great right?  For parents I mean.  Kids love things like Tacos and Nachos, there's not alot of work in convincing them to be excited about dinner.  We don't have Taco Bell in Vancouver anyway so it's not really an options.   There is a quiosk in the large Cineplex on Burrard but that's it and you know that those smaller quiosks are even less fresh than a full restaurant, if that's even possible.  Their Guacamole looks like the Wasabi paste in those tubes.

We often have Soft Flour wraps in the house after a camping weekend when we've had the Smoked Salmon.  The Smoked Salmon in the foil packs is normally a full Salmon so we do not eat or take it all.  There is a lot of sandwhich filler left.  I told D I fancied Quesadillas and that I would use some of the Salmon.  D bought a bit of a Skirt Steak home to pan fry for his Quesadillas.    I think traditionally Mexican Quesadillas are much much simpler, like just cheese.  Perhaps it is an evolution or North American adaptation.  I am not sure.  I had a Mexican flat mate in Spain and he liked my Quesadillas :^).  He taught me how to do a proper Salsa as well, but that's another post.

When D arrived home and I had chopped most of the veg, he was carrying a random assortment of vegetables J, from his office sent home with him.  She shares an Organic vegetable home delivery box with her neighbours and since they are away she was faced with more than she could eat through.  Since she reads my blog, she offered us some of her surplus. How lovely.  She gave us a few Cucumbers, Fennel, big Carrot and Cabbage.  D went into a massive slaw making fury.  I made half the dressing from our Super Slaw recipe.  We did not have the Purple Cabbage but it was yummo nonetheless. 

Using the 8" Soft Flour Tortillas, we find that 1 and a half is more than a filling meal. 

Quesadillas

6 Soft Flour Tortillas
1 1/2 c grated Cheddar, Mozzarella or Monterey Jack (use proper Mexican cheese if you can find it)
2 Jalapenos, minced
2 T fresh Parsley, chopped
2 T fresh Cilantro, chopped
1 Avocado, sliced
1/4 c thinly sliced Red Onion
2 Red Bell Peppers (Capsicum), sliced
1/3 large Yellow Zucchini, sliced
2-3 oz Protein of your choice, Shrimp, Fish, Tofu, Beef or nothing....
1 Tomato diced
Salt and Pepper

1/2 c Salsa, garnish
1/2 c Sour Cream, garnish

In a small skillet, I pan fried the peppers to soften them up and set them aside.  D cut his Steak into 1 cm inch wide strips and cooked them Medium Rare and set them aside for filling.

Heat a large non stick pan on Medium heat.  Now I build the bottom on a plate and slide it in.  D builds it in the pan.  Up to you.  Do not oil the pan.

Place a thin layer of Cheese on the first flour Tortilla.  Think of it more as glue than a topping so do not use too much.  Add the other vegetables as per your taste.  Do not over load.  Finish with another thin layer of Cheese and place the other Tortilla on top and press down.   Check the bottom.  After 5 minutes the bottom should be starting to brown.  Place a plate on top of your Quesadilla that is smaller than the pan.  Flip the whole pan over while holding on to the Plate. You should now have the plate right side up in your hand with the Quesadilla sitting on it with the bottom cooked side up.  Slide that back into the Pan and cook for another few minutes.
 

Use a Pizza slicer to cut into wedges.  Garnish with the Hot Sauces or Condiments of your choice.

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