[CH] Martha's Quesadillas
Judy Howle (howle@ebicom.net)
Sat, 25 Jul 1998 16:01:53 -0500
I caught Martha Stewart's show Fri. and she was grilling quesadillas.
Typically Martha, they use some unusual ingredients, such as SARDINES and
CHUTNEY, but other than that, they looked pretty good.
QUESADILLAS
Quesadillas, Mexico’s popular version of the
grilled-cheese sandwich, are soft flour
tortillas, layered with fillings, and folded over
or stacked, then cooked until the outside is
crispy and the fillings are melted and bubbly.
They can be prepared in endless
varieties—the only requisite ingredient is
cheese—and they are easy and fun to make
on an outdoor grill. If you can’t use a grill,
quesadillas can also be toasted under a
broiler or in a frying pan.
When serving guests, Martha likes to set up
a “quesadilla bar” right next to her grill. She
offers a selection of ingredients, from
standard to adventurous, for her guests to
choose from. You can be creative in your
offerings; the following are some suggestions
to get you started: a stack of flour tortillas,
both small and large, kept well-wrapped until
ready to use; a selection of peppers, such as
red, yellow, and green bell peppers,
poblanos, and jalepeños, which can be grilled
and peeled or sliced for filling; scallions and
red onions, the scallions cut into 2-inch
pieces, and the onions sliced into rings before
grilling; tomatillos (a member of the tomato
family), which can be grilled, smashed, and
used as filling; red cherry tomatoes; large
peeled shrimp; sardines in oil; and a selection
of cheeses, including white and yellow
cheddars, sharp American cheddar, queso
blanco (a Mexican cheese similar to
American goat cheese), and Chihuahua (a
Mexican melting cheese, similar to Monterey
Jack). Martha also offers an English chutney,
a large bowl of salsa, and fresh herbs such
as cilantro, parsley, and basil.
RECIPES
CHEDDAR CHEESE AND CHUTNEY
QUESADILLAS
Makes 1 ten-inch quesadilla
2 ten-inch flour tortillas
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 tablespoons Major Grey’s chutney
3/4 cup finely grated cheddar cheese (about 3
ounces)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat a grill to medium-hot and place grid 4 inches
above the coals. Brush one side of tortilla with olive
oil. Place tortilla oil-side-down on a plate.
2. Spread chutney over entire surface of tortilla and
sprinkle with cheese. Season with salt and pepper.
Top with another tortilla and carefully slide onto grill.
Brush top tortilla with oil.
3. When underside is brown, flip over and grill other
side. Cut quesadillas into wedges with scissors or a
knife, and serve immediately.
GREEN AND WHITE QUESADILLAS
Makes 1 ten-inch quesadilla
2 ten-inch flour tortillas
2 teaspoons olive oil
3 small tomatillos
2 scallions
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
2 tablespoons chévre, room temperature
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1. Heat a grill to medium-hot and place grid 4 inches
above the coals. Brush one side of tortilla with 1
teaspoon olive oil. Place tortilla oil-side-down on a
plate.
2. Brush tomatillos and scallions with remaining
olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Place on the
grill and cook until browned and tender, 3 to 5
minutes. Remove to a cutting board and slice
scallions into 1/2-inch pieces. Smash tomatillos to
flatten with the back of a knife.
3. Spread cheeses over entire surface of tortilla.
Sprinkle over scallion, smashed tomatillo, and
cilantro leaves. Season with salt and pepper. Top
with another tortilla and carefully slide onto grill.
Brush top tortilla with oil.
4. Flip the quesadillas over and grill other side. Cut
into wedges with scissors or a knife, and serve
immediately.
SHRIMP AND RED ONION QUESADILLA
Makes 1 ten-inch quesadilla
3 large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 teaspoons olive oil
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 ten-inch flour tortillas
1/4 small red onion, very thinly sliced
1/2 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped flat leaf parsley
1. Heat a grill to medium-hot and place grid 4 inches
above the coals. Brush one side of tortilla with olive
oil. Place tortilla oil side down on a plate.
2. Place cleaned shrimp in a bowl and drizzle with 1
teaspoon of the olive oil. Season with salt and
pepper. Place on the grill and cook until white but
not overcooked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove to
a cutting board and cut into 1-inch pieces.
3. Sprinkle tortilla with cheese. Top with red onion,
halved cherry tomatoes, shrimp pieces, and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper. Top with another
tortilla and carefully slide onto grill. Brush top tortilla
with oil.
4. When underside is brown, flip over and grill other
side. Cut quesadillas into wedges with scissors or a
knife, and serve immediately.
Judy Howle
howle@ebicom.net
Flavors of the South
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Hot and Spicy Food Editor
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