Cinco de Mayo is right around the corner. Celebrate with a party.
Chile-Cheese Quesadillas with Salsa
- 8 corn tortillas
- 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 1 cup shredded medium-sharp or mild cheddar cheese
- 3 to 4 tablespoons canned green chiles
- 2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 medium tomatoes, chopped and seeded (enough for 2 cups)
- 1 small white onion, finely chopped
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
- 1 large clove garlic, minced
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar
- 1 fresh jalapeño (more or less, to your taste), seeded, veins removed, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
First, make the salsa. Combine all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl, and chill for at least one hour. Before serving, bring to room temperature, stir and drain any excess liquid.
Making quesadillas is like making tortilla sandwiches. Mix together the cheeses and spread equally on four of the tortillas. Sprinkle the chiles evenly over the cheese. Top with the remaining four tortillas.
If you have a skillet or griddle large enough to accommodate all four quesadillas, warm it up and add the oil. Over medium-high heat, cook the quesadillas 2 minutes or until bottoms are browned. Carefully turn them over and brown the other side. Remove from heat and cut each into quarters. If your skillet is smaller, cook quesadillas one at a time, using 2 teaspoons of oil with each quesadilla.
Serve quesadillas warm with the salsa. Makes 16 one-quarter wedges or 32 one-eighth wedges.
Note: A considerable amount of fat can be removed from quesadillas by using low-fat cheeses. If fat is of great concern, try using non-stick cooking spray rather than canola oil for cooking.
Should you wish to turn up the heat in your salsa, substitute a serrano chile for the jalapeño.
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• Thu 26 Apr 2007 - Yum
Blessings,
Chas