Baked Mushroom and Zucchini Quesadillas with Cool Cilantro Lime Pesto

There is hardly a bad time for quesadillas.  They can be the all-so-necessary in-between daytime snack, or a satisfying dinner.   Typically, you’re only option is cheese.   This is where the record starts skipping.   Sure it’s simple, but you can only enjoy processed cheese for so long.  If you are lucky, maybe you will also get some chicken thrown in there too.   But do not fret!  As the greenery in the produce section diversifies and multiplies, now is the time to add vegetables to everything – even your quesadillas.  Turn the record over; we’ve got a new song to play.

For this particular batch of quesadillas I chose portabella mushrooms for their meaty taste.  Zucchini was more of a frugally driven choice.  Besides corn, it’s one of the cheapest items in produce during the summer.   Carrots or bell peppers have potential as well.  

What really sets these quesadillas apart is the cilantro lime pesto.  I know I have been on a pesto kick recently, but for good reason.  No hassle, great taste.  It’s like buying quality products for half price!  This pesto – which I served cold – gave great contrast to the taste and texture.  So if you find yourself stalling out on plain old cheese quesadillas, there is hope.  Just add pesto, and presto!  You have yourself an old tune with a new twist. 

Cilantro Lime Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup cilantro, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/3 cup walnuts, chopped

1 jalapeno, chopped

Zest of one lime

Juice of one lime

Salt

Enough olive oil to reach desired texture

Instructions:

1.       In a blender or food processor, add all ingredients.  Blend until you have reached desired consistency. 

Makes about ¾ cup.

Mushroom and Zucchini Quesadillas

Ingredients:

1 medium zucchini, sliced

2 cups portabella mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper, to taste

1 ½ cups Monterey, Cheddar, or Mexican blend cheese, shredded

4-6 whole wheat tortillas (depending on how you portion)

Optional: Sour cream or salsa

Instructions:

1.       Heat a frying pan over medium heat, until you can feel heat.  Add 2 T olive oil.

2.       Add in zucchini and mushrooms (may have to add mushrooms first, then zucchini if space does not allow both – just don’t crowd the vegetables!) Sautee for about 5-7 minutes, or until vegetables are tender but not soft.  Remove from pan.  Keep pan warm if you wish to fry your quesadilla and not bake it.

3.       Spread pesto on tortilla (or if you want to keep the pesto cold, skip this). 

4.       Layer vegetables and cheese on tortilla.  Either fry or bake your quesadilla (I did mine in the toaster oven).

5.       If you have not added the pesto, add it now.  Slice the tortilla in quarters.  Serve with sour cream salsa, more cheese, etc.

Mexican Chicken Stacks

There is no such thing as Mexi-can’t food.   There is only Mexican.   Cheesy? Yes.  But there must be something about the word, “Mexican”.  Put it in front of any other type of food and it’s as if you can’t go wrong.  It reminds me of good mash-up music.  Overlay two separate things and somehow it becomes a perfect union.  How else could Mexican lasagna, Mexican burgers, Mexican ice cream, or Mexican pizza work so well? With a best friend visiting for the weekend, it was time for my own Mexican mash-up. 

I started with a slice of warm cornbread right from the oven.   This would be my cornerstone – I could build from here.  Cheese acted as the melty mortar for my Mexican stack.  Then brick-red Chili Tomato Sauce added a touch of crimson color and a fiery heat.  But I was careful to cool things down before they burned down the house.  The Lime-Grapefruit marinated chicken and even a few slices of avocado would be perfect touches.  Finally, I added the arugula, which made for a peppery, crunchy roof for this now towering Mexican Chicken Stack.   

Each bite was a symphony of flavors.  A full chorus of tastes and textures sang wildly as I dug through my stack.  It looked much like a deconstructed Taco Casserole, but tasted so much more gourmet.  I could taste every different section of the stack on its own, but all the parts worked so harmoniously with the whole.  I would recommend this to anyone who craves freshness and values making food from scratch. 

Mexican Chicken Stacks

- The layering really depends on your preference.  Mine went as follows: cornbread, cheese, tomato sauce, chicken, and arugula.  However, next time I think that I would switch the chicken and arugula and add avocado slices or sour cream to the very top.  I have also considered adding chipotle peppers to the Chili Tomato Sauce.  I have included my recipes for the Chili Tomato Sauce and the Lime-Grapefruit Chicken.  The cornbread I used was from Smitten Kitchen.  There is lots of room for variation in this recipe, so be creative!

Chili Tomato Sauce

Ingredients:

2 T olive oil

½ cup onion, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, finely diced

4 T ground chili powder

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper, ground

1 (28 oz) can tomatoes, diced (do not drain)

1 cup chicken broth

Instructions:

1.        Heat a large pot over medium heat until hot, add oil. 

2.       Add onion and sauté for about 5 minutes, or at least until onions are translucent.

3.       Add garlic; continue to sauté over medium heat for about 3 more minutes. 

4.       Add chili powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper.   Stir until aromatic – about 1 minute. 

5.       Add tomatoes and chicken broth and bring to a boil. 

6.       Reduce temperature to medium heat. 

7.       Reduce the sauce down by about half, or until the sauce thickens (about 15-20 minutes).

Lime-Grapefruit Chicken

Ingredients:

Juice of 2 limes

Zest of 2 limes

Juice of 1 grapefruit

1 cup cilantro, finely chopped

4 cloves garlic, finely diced

Salt and pepper

Sugar or honey, to taste

Jalapeno, finely diced

2 green onions, finely sliced

2 chicken thigh and leg quarters, bone-in

Instructions:

1.       Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. 

2.       Use half of the marinade to add to the chicken; reserve the other half for a sauce for the chicken after it has been cooked.

3.       Marinade chicken for at least 30 minutes.   

4.       Meanwhile, preheat oven to 350˚ F.

5.       Bake chicken until juices run clear, about 30 minutes. 

6.       Remove chicken from bone, and shredding it.

7.       In a medium sized bowl, add the reserved marinade to the cooked chicken and refrigerate, covered, until ready to eat (up to one day).   

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Hash with Toasted Pecans and Scallions

 Toasting nuts is easy – there is really nuttin’ to it!  Have a stovetop? Have a frying pan?  You are golden.   Simply heat a frying pan over medium high heat until hot, and then add the nuts into the pan.  No oil, no water – this is dry fry.  Stir them around periodically to avoid burning.  Ideally, they should turn golden brown.  As long as they are not black, you should be okay.  Always keep an eye on your nuts, especially when toasting.  

By now, hearing me describe how I ate an entrée sized portion of a side dish should come as no surprise.  My theory is that if you can eat enough of a side to satisfy a meal, it’s going to be one hell of a side dish.  (My other theory is that meat is expensive, so I’m saving my money for that Friday night rib-eye.)  Goat cheese is a lavish splurge, I know.  But cream cheese will give you a similarly luscious mouth-feel for half the price.  Like creamy velvet, the cream cheese generously coats the sweet potatoes without smothering them.  Sprinkling in green onions added a perky, spring-green bite.  Toasted nuts developed the texture of each fork-full, as well as adding to the overall richness.  

I could eat sweet potatoes three nights a week.  Some weeks I do.  This recipe is for those of us who love sweet potatoes and are “in-nut to win-nut”.  

Sweet Potato and Goat Cheese Hash with Toasted Pecans and Scallions

Ingredients:
¼ cup pecans, chopped
2 T canola oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 garlic clove, finely diced
½ to 1 cup water
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups fresh spinach
2-3 oz goat cheese, cream cheese, or both
3 T scallions or green onions, sliced  

Instructions:

1.    Heat an 8 inch frying pan over medium high heat until hot.  Add pecans and toast for about 3-4 minutes.  Remove from pan; set aside.
2.    Turn heat down to medium low, add oil.  (Make sure the oil is not smoking – may need to remove pan from heat source for about 30 seconds.)
3.    Add sweet potatoes, sauté for about 8-9 minutes.
4.    Add garlic, sauté for another 2 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
5.    Add ½ cup of water to the pan and cover.  Let potatoes simmer for about 5 more minutes (may need to add more water as they are cooking).  
6.    Once sweet potatoes are fork tender, add in spinach.  Cover pan again and wilt spinach for about 2-3 minutes.
7.    Add in goat or cream cheese; gently stir to help melt the cheese.  
8.    Garnish plate with toasted pecans and green onions.  
Makes about 2-3 cups.

Simple Greek Avocado Quinoa Salad

A salad made for simpletons.  Okay, so maybe the term is a bit pejorative, but you get the idea.  This recipe is as easy as chopping vegetables and following package instructions.  Yet, the final product is vibrant and delectably gourmet.  Plus, quinoa is that magically filling grain that is guilt and gluten free, so it won’t weigh you down or leave you hankering for more.

Tonight’s dinner was one of those “throw-this-together- after-work-because-I’m-starving” deals.  When I’m hungry there isn’t time to spare on being hung up on some missing ingredient from an over-the-top recipe.  So, while it is no great date meal or anything fancy to impress the folks with, it was just what I needed for dinner tonight.  

 The texture was a perfect yin yang – the crunchy quinoa contrasted with the velvetiness of the avocado made for textural bliss.  The taste was fresh and perky – tomatoes, parsley, and feta are naturally bright and lively flavors that made the salad taste light and refreshing.   I’m not a huge fan of salads when they are made up of “rabbit food”, i.e. bags of pre-chopped iceburg lettuce.  But this is the kind of salad I’ll have seconds of. 

For those days when you are on the go, this is a healthful, tasty salad that would be a perfectly packable lunch or a super side salad.

 Simple Greek Avocado Quinoa Salad

Ingredients:

½ cup quinoa

1 avocado, ¼ inch cubes

½ cup grape tomatoes, quartered

2 green onions, sliced

2 T fresh parsley, chopped

1/3 cup feta cheese

Salt and pepper

Instructions:

1.       Cook quinoa according to package instructions (I use broth instead of water and add ½ a clove of garlic for more flavor).

2.       Prepare all other salad ingredients.

3.       Mix together quinoa and salad ingredients, hot or cold and enjoy! Yep, it’s that easy. 

Orange Adobo Sweet Potatoes, Peas, and Quinoa

 Sweet potatoes are the new Russet potato.  In the restaurant scene, we have already seen the starchy switch from the traditional French fried potato to the sweet potato alternative.  But is this just another food fad?  Yet another outlet to feed our secret addiction to all things saccharine sounding?

First, let us dispel the notion that sweet potato implies sugary potato.  Although that may have been the best way to convince us to eat them as kids, it is limiting.  Now, because of that incriminating description, “sweet”, we automatically assume that sweet potatoes are already sugar soaked.  

 On the contrary, sweet potatoes have a creative and complex sweetness.  Envision her at a masquerade, weaving in and out of various masks and disguises.  Discover that beyond her overdone, cloying sweetness, she can be an irresistibly spicy siren.  Dressed in adobo sauce and decorated with orange zest, I uncovered the spicy siren side of my sweet potatoes.

The chili sauce gave the sweet potato a vibrant, evocative taste, yet allowed it to retain much of its earthy quality.  Sprinkled with the fresh zing of cilantro, and then smoothed out by the creaminess of goat cheese, was the perfect way to finish each bite.  My experiments with sweet potatoes have made me appreciate their versatility, and I am encouraged by their rewarding results.

Note about cooking sweet potatoes:  Add some fat to that!  Sautéing your sweet potato with a small amount of fat, such as olive oil, actually helps your body pick up more of the antioxidant beta-carotene that is found in sweet potatoes.  You can also add fats (such as olive oil, nuts, cheese) after cooking to help the bioavailability of the antioxidants.  Other recommended ways to cook your sweet potatoes are steaming and boiling.  These methods give you the fullest amount of fiber, vitamin A, and antioxidants. 

Orange Adobo Sweet Potatoes, Peas, and Quinoa

Ingredients:

3 T olive oil

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1 medium sized sweet potato, chopped into ½ inch cubes

½ - 1 cup water (when needed to cook potatoes)

½ cup frozen peas

2 T – ¼ cup adobo sauce (depending on how spicy level tolerance)

2 tsp orange zest, grated

¼ cup cilantro, chopped

1-2 oz goat cheese

1 cup cooked quinoa

Instructions:

1.       Heat a medium sized pan over medium heat until very warm, add olive oil.

2.       Add garlic, sauté garlic until browned.

3.       Keeping pan between medium and medium high heat, add sweet potatoes, sauté until just soft, adding water when needed.  About 7-8 minutes.

4.       After about 5 minutes of cooking the sweet potatoes, add the frozen peas. 

5.       Add in the adobo sauce and orange zest.  Stir to coat and combine.

6.       Add cilantro, reserve some for garnish. 

7.       In bowl, spoon cooked quinoa into the bottom.  Layer on top the sweet potato mixture. Place cheese on top.  Sprinkle with cilantro. 

Makes about 2-3 cups.

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

 As my German friend told me, “Your classic sweet potato casserole or pie with the billowing marshmallows hovering on top is hard not to love”.   Being a traditional American dish, it’s seldom swapped out and changed up.  For good reason– it’s cheap, sweet, and filling.  Can we say, perfect family potluck dish?  But I find limiting sweet potatoes to this application alone stifles its potential to go beyond that one-dimensional starchy, sweet fluff.  

 When it comes to food, I tend to consider myself a bit of a radical.  You can catch me flipping flavors, creating savory from sweet, or mixing together polarizing tastes.  Although I love twice baked potatoes, loaded with bacon, cheddar cheese and sour cream, it only recently dawned on me to do the same with sweet potatoes.  I kept the texture progression (crunchy, smooth, savory), but switched out the traditional toppings in favor of panko and pecans, goat cheese, green onions and cracked black pepper.

 Before you cry blasphemy, imagine the soft peaks of sweet potato, contrasted with the crackle of toasted panko and pecans alongside a juicy steak or roast chicken.  Each bite like a pillow of creaminess accented by slivers of green onion and cracked black pepper.  The pecans bring back hints of sweetness and the panko adds the crunch needed to snap back into reality.  It feels bright and playful, but seductively satisfying.  It’s definitely a side dish fit for dinner.  Might the loaded (with fat) baked potato be teetering on the edge of extinction?  

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes                    

Adapted from Martha Steward

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

2 large sweet potatoes

4 oz goat cheese

3 T butter, salted and divided

¼ cup green onion tips, finely sliced (only the green part midway up the stalk)

1/8 tsp black pepper

¼ cup pecans, chopped

¼ cup plain panko

Instructions:

1.       Preheat oven to 375˚F. 

2.       Cut sweet potatoes in half, place on greased cookie sheet or large baking dish.

3.       Bake for 1 hour, or until fork tender.

4.       Take potatoes out of oven.  Once cooled slightly, scoop out sweet potato into medium sized  bowl, leaving the skins intact.  (May need to peel off hard layer of cooked potato on top first)

5.       With electric beaters, whip together the potato, 2 T butter and 4 oz goat cheese until very smooth.

6.       Stir in green onions and black pepper. 

7.       Melt remaining 1 T butter.  In a small dish, combine pecans, panko, and butter. 

8.       Spoon mix back into potato skins and top with panko mixture.  (May end up not being able to refill all potato skins, I started with 4 and ended up with only enough for 3.  Keep it in mind.)

9.       Return potatoes to oven and cook for 10 minutes longer. 

10.   Season with salt and pepper – enjoy the deliciousness!