I absolutely love Mexican food, and I think it is a great thing to make a whole load of over the weekend and share with friends. Whenever I create these weekend Mexican feasts, the quesadillas are always the first thing to go, and the thing that people comment on the most. So, if you are only going to make one thing, either on masse for a group of friends, or just for yourself, I would go for the quesadillas.
Since working out how to make homemade guacamole recently, I would never buy ready made again, as it is really easy, probably cheaper, and sooo good. The creamy taste also complements the spicy filling I like to put into quesedillas really well. If you are vegetarian, just don’t bother with the chicken for an equally tasty dinner fiesta!
Ingredients (serves 4)
For the quesadillas:
8 flour tortillas
250g Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
A handful of chopped, cooked chicken
2 red peppers
1 red onion
1 clove garlic
A few drops of Tabasco
1 red chili
1 tablespoon of olive oil
For the guacamole:
2 ripe avocados
1 lime
1 handful of fresh coriander, finely chopped
1 red chili, de-seeded and finely chopped
1 tomato, de-seeded and finely chopped
Directions:
Remove skin and stone from avocados and roughly chop. Place in a bowl and mash roughly.
Stir in juice of the lime, chili, tomato and coriander. Cover with cling film and set aside.
For the quesadillas, grate all of the cheese and place in a mixing bowl. Finely chop the garlic, pepper, onion, chicken and chili and mix into the cheese, adding a little Tabasco to taste.
Grease a wide, thick bottomed frying pan with olive oil, and allow the pan to get really hot (like you would if you were making pancakes).
Place a tortilla in the pan and cover with quarter of the cheese mixture, leaving about an inch around the outside. Place another tortilla over the top to make a sandwich, and fry on each side for around 3-4 minutes until browned and the cheese is melted. You may need to reduce the heat a little as the pan gets hotter to avoid burning.
Repeat with the rest of the tortillas and cheese mixture then cut into wedges. Serve with a big dollop of guacamole and salad.
Image via What’s Cookin’, Good Lookin’