Hola amigos!
As you can see from the above photo, I've been connecting with my Mexican heritage lately (ok, so I don't officially have a Mexican heritage...but I'm sure if I go back far enough I'd be able to find one!)
I grew up in a household where 'Mexican' was a common adjective for food - Mexican potatoes, Mexican rice, Mexican pizza, Mexican dip, Mexican stew - you name it and my family has attempted to make it with a Mexican twist! Burritos, quesadillas, fajitas, tortillas, chilli powder, cumin, coriander, jalapenos, and Corona are all staples in my kitchen. I make my own salsa and guacamole and I lovingly stare at recipes of tomatillo salsa verde - I just need to get my hands on some tomatillos!
My version of Mexican food is fast, healthy, easy to make and jam packed with flavour!
I'm travelling this weekend so I wanted to use up the food I had in my fridge. With that in mind I started chopping. One thing lead to another and before I knew it I was making a quesadilla!
Here's what I did:
Quesadilla:
I diced and sautéed tomato, red pepper, green onion, and leek.
Added chilli powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic.
When the veggies were almost cooked I added a can of black beans (rinsed & drained) and continued to cook until heated throughout.
When everything was finished cooking I turned off the heat and added the juice of 1/2 a lime.
Normally I would spread salsa and yogurt or sour cream over a whole wheat tortilla - alas I had no such ingredients in my fridge so I used some tikka masala sauce (Mexican Indian fusion - why not?!).
I then baked the tortilla in the oven (@ 375°F) to harden/toast it a little. I do this for 2 reasons:
1) I like a little extra crunch when I'm eating tortillas
2) It reduces the likelihood of soggy leftovers!
Note: The tortilla will need to be folded in half so make sure not to toast it too much (it may crack).
Once toasted, I spooned the sautéed veggies & beans on half of the quesadilla and sprinkled some old cheddar cheese on top. I folded it in half and then popped it back in the oven to let the cheese melt.
Guacamole:
Added chilli powder, cumin, coriander, and garlic.
When the veggies were almost cooked I added a can of black beans (rinsed & drained) and continued to cook until heated throughout.
When everything was finished cooking I turned off the heat and added the juice of 1/2 a lime.
Normally I would spread salsa and yogurt or sour cream over a whole wheat tortilla - alas I had no such ingredients in my fridge so I used some tikka masala sauce (Mexican Indian fusion - why not?!).
I then baked the tortilla in the oven (@ 375°F) to harden/toast it a little. I do this for 2 reasons:
1) I like a little extra crunch when I'm eating tortillas
2) It reduces the likelihood of soggy leftovers!
Note: The tortilla will need to be folded in half so make sure not to toast it too much (it may crack).
Once toasted, I spooned the sautéed veggies & beans on half of the quesadilla and sprinkled some old cheddar cheese on top. I folded it in half and then popped it back in the oven to let the cheese melt.
Guacamole:
While the quesadilla was cooking I dug into an avocado, scooped out the flesh and mashed it in a bowl with diced tomato and a squirt of lime juice. Normally my guacamole has a little more oomph than this but I was looking for something basic and fast! It certainly did the trick but I wasn't surprised - it's hard to mess up an avocado!
I added a dollop of guacamole on top of the quesadilla, cracked open a Corona and had myself a fiesta!
Adios, hasta la vista!
R.
I added a dollop of guacamole on top of the quesadilla, cracked open a Corona and had myself a fiesta!
Adios, hasta la vista!
R.
yummmmy! you are such a great chef!
ReplyDeleteyour quesadad and guacamama taught you well :-)
ReplyDelete