Fork and Knife Quesadillas

I wasn't going to write about this. I mean, who really writes about plain old quesadillas? But my 13-year old sister said that it was the most beautiful thing I've ever eaten and that I had to take a picture of it. So here I am.

I imagine that this quesadilla would make a perfect appetizer to share, but I ate it all by myself for lunch. It's good and cheesy, with a bit of protein from the chicken inside. And as you can see, it's loaded with good stuff on top: sliced avocados, salsa fresca, cilantro, and sour cream. It's quite a lovely thing, when you think about it. It can certainly do with a lot of substitutions and adjustments -- try cheddar cheese instead of jack, shredded beef or leftover carnitas instead of chicken, guacamole instead of avocado slices, corn tortillas instead of flour. Have fun with it and use what you have. So long as you take a moment to arrange it nicely, it'll look delicious.

Fork and Knife Quesadillas

Serves about 2 as an appetizer, or one very hungry person as a main course

2 flour tortillas

1/2 cup grated jack cheese

1/4 cup shredded white meat chicken, fully cooked

1 teaspoon canola or other neutral oil

1/2 an avocado

A few spoonfuls of salsa (store bought is fine, but I've included my recipe for homemade salsa below)

A generous spoonful of low-fat sour cream

Freshly squeezed lime juice

Cilantro, for garnish

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. In a medium frying pan, heat oil over medium high heat. Sprinkle cheese and chicken between tortillas. Transfer the tortillas to the heated pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes per side, until the tortilla is crispy and the cheese is melted (adjust the flame as needed sot hat this happens at approximately the same time). Quesadillas can be kept warm in a 200 degree oven.

2. Slice quesadilla in quarters and arrange on a plate. Thinly slice avocados and fan the slices across each of the tortilla quarters. Sprinkle the avocados lightly with salt pepper and drizzle with lime juice. Spoon salsa onto each tortilla quarter. Spoon sour cream into the middle of the tortillas. Garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately.

Chunky Salsa Fresca

Makes about two cups

1/4-1/2 of an onion, finely chopped

1 small jalapeno or 1/2 large with seeds, finely minced (add jalapeno to taste)

2 small or 1 large clove(s) garlic

1 can diced tomatoes, well drained

1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

Juice from 1/2 a lime (to taste)

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

1. Mix together onion, 3/4 of the jalapeno, garlic, cilantro, salt, and pepper. Add tomatoes. Add lime juice and mash salsa gently with a fork. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add additional jalapeno, if desired. Serve.