Chicken Quesadillas
Every cook I know has a go-to list, things you can prepare with what you have in the fridge in a reasonable amount of time.
Tonight, for example, I was late getting home from work, and while sitting in traffic, I made dinner. Not literally, of course. Mentally, I ticked off the possibilities and finally decided on pasta with pesto sauce (from my summer batch) tossed with a few ounces of leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.
Funny thing, after I got home, I spied an avocado on my kitchen windowsill, now ripe, and remembered the tortillas I’d frozen after my last batch of burritos (also on my go-to list.) Ah hah, I had the makings for quesadillas! For some reason, I don’t make them very often, but why not layer your leftovers between two tortillas, cook them briefly, fix a quick salad, and ring the dinner bell. Even better, if you have kids, let them choose the fillings and put them on however they like. After all, they love to do that with pizza. Plus, cut small enough, quesadillas are just the right size for pint-size hands. Vegetarian, vegan, carnivore, you name it, and there’s a quesadilla for you. After all, they’re nothing more (or less) than tortillas filled with your favorite savory foods, so set the imagination of your inner child free.
If a big ear of corn comes to mind when I say the word, tortilla, you’re in for a pleasant surprise. At my favorite local store, Edmonds PCC Natural Market, the choices range from traditional, to sprouted wheat, gluten-free, and brown rice. I’m not big on corn or white flour, so I buy spelt tortillas. They’re more nutrient-dense, but you’d never know them from their bleached-flour cousins. And, for additional interest, look for spinach and other colorful ones. Mix it up, present your quesadillas on a platter, and you have the perfect introduction to a Mexican fiesta.
For fillings, scour your fridge and use what you find. Mushrooms are a good choice, particularly when you pair them with goat cheese. In the photo at the top, leftover basil-chicken, olives, and cheddar cheese melted into tasty quesadillas assembled in minutes. Other possibilities? Go Italian with fontina cheese, roasted red peppers and sausage. The point is, if it’s living in your fridge, you probably like it, so use up your this-and-thats.
For something traditional, go the Mexican route with refried or mashed beans, salsa, and mozzarella cheese. Or, turn your favorite pizza toppings into a Q. Mine happens to be gorgonzola cheese, pears and pine nuts. By now, you’ve probably thought of your own possibilities so here’s how you start. Sauté your cold fillings and other treasures you’ve discovered that require cooking, such as mushrooms and onions. If you’re using a hard cheese, grate enough to nicely cover the bottom tortillas of your choice. Scatter the fillings over the cheese and press on the covers. Cook them in a cast iron pan on medium heat. When you begin to smell them, and they’re nicely browned, flip them. This method works well when you’re only cooking a few.
To feed a crowd, preheat your oven to 350 and bake your quesadillas for about 10 minutes until the bottoms are browned; turn, and cook briefly until the other side has color (watch carefully) and the cheese has melted. Cut into wedges the size of your choosing. A second method is to cover only one-half of the tortillas with your fillings, fold into half-moons, and then cook them. Either way, dinner is ready in minutes, and you won’t have to say it twice!
SHOUTOUT: Walnut Street Coffee in Edmonds, Washington for their excellent customer service and, of course, fabulous Vivace coffee.
Tidbit: to turn every-day food into something special, make a rub! Here’s one that’s good on just about everything: Grill Every Day Spice Rub. (Just don’t do what I did when I wasn’t wearing my glasses and mix it up with your chipolte powder.)
I have mushrooms and goat cheese in the fridge that really need to be used up. And we have tortillas, too. Thanks for the tip.
You’re all set. Have fun making your quesadillas!