Quesadillas

The word, quesadilla, comes from Spanish, and literally means "little cheesy thing." “Queso” is cheese in Spanish. A quesadilla is a Mexican dish that dates back to the 16th century. Traditional quesadillas were made with a corn tortilla that was warmed on a griddle, filled with cheese and various other fillings (meat, vegetables), and then folded over to be eaten by hand.

In the states, a quesadilla is usually made with a flour tortilla and is filled primarily with cheese; other ingredients, such as cooked meat, refried beans, chilis or vegetables may be added. The filled tortilla is then toasted or fried, usually until the cheese is melted. Once the quesadilla is cooked, it is traditionally cut into slices or wedges. Wolfgang Puck's recipe below follows through on this idea filling his quesadillas mainly with cheese.

Toppings can be guacamole, salsa, and sour cream, as pictured.

Brian and I like to make a version of Wolfgang Puck's quesadilla. See Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole below.

From The Tortilla Book, Diana Kennedy [Harper & Row:New York] 1975 -(p. 106)

"Quesadillas are one of the Mexicans' favorite simple snacks. They are, in fact, uncooked tortillas stuffed with one of various fillings and folded over to make a "turnover." They are then toasted on a hot griddle or fried until golden.

In many parts of Mexico they are filled with strips of Chihuahua cheese, which melts and "strings" nicely--a Mexican requirement...the farther south one goes the more complicated they become. For instance, in central Mexico the simplest ones are filled with some of the braided Oaxaca cheese, a few fresh leaves of epazote and strips of peeled chile poblano. Potato and chorizo filling--that used for tacos...--is also a favorite version, while the most highly esteemed of all are those of sauteed squash blossoms (flor de calabaza) or the ambrosial fungus that grows on the corn blossoms (huitlachoche), both of which are at their best during the rainy months of summer and early fall."

Tip: One recipe I found has you fry the tortillias, in butter, first to get the flour tortillas lightly toasted because it improves the flavor. Heat a large skillet (cast iron works great) on medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil (about 1/2 teaspoon) and spread it around the bottom of the pan with a spatula (you could use butter as well). Take one large flour tortilla and place it in the pan. Flip the tortilla over a few times, 10 seconds between flips. Air pockets should begin to form within the tortilla.

Cheese Quesadillas with Guacamole
Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, 2004, http://foodnetwork.com, adapted from Adventures in the Kitchen, (c) 1991

Brian and I make a version of Wolfgang Puck's quesadillas and really liked them. We like to use the mozzarella and Cheddar cheeses, but add roasted poblano peppers and sliced green onion. Don't add too many fillings. Quesadillas should be thin, as in the picture. Once cooked, we like to top them with salsa and sour cream and, if we have it, some guacamole or sliced avocado.

See Tips below

4 (12-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup grated Cheddar
1/4 cup grated mozzarella
1/2 cup grated queso blanco (Mexican cheese)
Olive or corn oil

We like to add:

roasted poblano peppers
sliced green onion

Lay out 2 of the flour tortillas on a flat surface. Top with the cheeses, spreading evenly over the tortillas. Top with remaining tortillas and press to seal.

Note: A good way to make a smaller quesadilla for one person is is to spread the filling over half of a single tortilla, then fold the other half over to form a semicircle.

Heat a large saute pan over high heat. Add enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan and lower the heat to medium. Cook until golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Repeat with the other quesadilla.

Let cool for 5 minutes. Slice into triangles (like cutting a pizza or a pie). Serve with guacamole.

J. Kenji López-Alt's Corn and Zucchini Quesadillas

According to Kenji at http://www.seriouseats.com/: "The keys to kickass quesadillas are mixing the filling right in with the cheese and using enough oil to get the tortillas to puff and crisp up golden brown."

His tips:

- Mixing shredded cheese in with the fillings distributes it evenly and ensures that the quesadilla fillings stay intact instead of falling out.
- Using plenty of oil to fry the quesadillas gives them a puffy, flaky, crispy texture. He uses 2 Tbsp. of vegetable oil to fry two folded quesadillas.

FMM: This turned out pretty good and they stayed together well, although I did use just half the filling. The filling is enough for 4 folded quesadillas, not 2 as in the recipe (my tortillas may have been smaller). I topped them with yogurt (sour cream was no good) and salsa. I don't think I would like them without the toppings.

A similar recipe from Food and Wine also adds black beans, which would be a good addition.

Cut recipe in half. The filling is enough for twice as many tortillas.

2 teaspoons vegetable oil
3 ounces finely diced zucchini (85 g; about 1/2 medium zucchini)
Salt
3 ounces fresh corn kernels (85 g; about 1 small ear)
1 jalapeño pepper, minced [I used poblano pepper]
1 tablespoon (12 g) minced fresh cilantro leaves
4 ounces (115 g) shredded Jack cheese
2 (8-inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, for frying

Heat 2 teaspoons (10ml) oil in a 10-inch cast iron or nonstick skillet over high heat until oil just starts to smoke. Add zucchini, season with salt, and cook, tossing and stirring frequently, until zucchini is lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add corn kernels and continue cooking, tossing frequently, until corn is lightly browned, about 2 minutes longer. Add jalapeño and cook, tossing constantly, until softened, about 30 seconds. Stir in cilantro and transfer mixture to a medium bowl.

Add cheese to zucchini mixture and mix to combine. Spread half of mixture evenly over half of one tortilla, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Fold tortilla over and seal edges by pressing down firmly. Repeat with remaining filling and second tortilla.

Heat remaining 2 tablespoons (30ml) oil in same skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Carefully add both folded tortillas and cook, swirling and moving tortillas around, until golden brown and puffy on first side, about 2 minutes. Using a flexible metal spatula, flip quesadillas, season with salt, and continue cooking until golden brown and puffy on second side, about 2 minutes longer.

Transfer quesadillas to a paper towel to drain. Cut into triangles and serve immediately.

2 servings

Other Good Combinations:

Variations: The name quesadilla is derived from the Spanish word queso, meaning cheese, but while cheese is the main ingredient in quesadillas, you can add any of the following: partially mashed black beans, refried protein, protein such as shredded chicken, scallions, pimiento, jalapeno peppers, roasted poblano peppers, diced fresh tomatoes, cilantro, cumin, ham. Just about anything could be used as an extra filling or flavoring. Other good options are potatoes with cooked chorizo, pumpkin flowers (see Squash Blossom Quesadillas), mushrooms. . .

DON'T overfill, you want just a thin layer of ingredients.

- shredded cooked chicken breast, roasted poblano peppers, shredded cheese
- shredded cooked chicken breast, minced pickled jalapeño, minced fresh cilantro leaves, shredded pepper Jack cheese
- fried chopped spinach, canned black beans (mashed a little) or thin sliced and cooked mushrooms, chipotle in adobe sauce, Swiss cheese
- *fried finely diced zucchini and corn mixture flavored with jalapeño pepper, shredded Jack cheese, cilantro (recipe above by J. Kenji López-Alt)
- scrambled eggs, crumbled bacon or sausage, cheddar cheese (breakfast, lunch or dinner, quesadilla)
- spicy fried ground beef mixture (from Taco recipe), Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sliced green onion
- From Uncle Ben's Rice box, Ready in 30 minutes, serves 4: 1 can black beans, drained, 1/2 lime juiced (cut other half into quarters for serving on side), partially mash beans. Spread on 2 tortillas. Top with 1 cup shredded cheese and 1 4-oz. can diced green chilis (from Uncle Ben's rice). Top with 2 other tortillas. Fry in a little butter. Serve with "Southwest Rice" - 1 cup Uncle Ben's rice, 1 cup tomato salsa, 1 3/4 cup water [too much]. Cook 20 minutes. Serve with tomato salsa, sour cream, sliced green onions and lime.