I love Mexican-inspired food. I really, really do. Beans, salsa, guacamole, enchiladas,tacos, carnitas, burritos, churros, chilis, limes…
I went to Mexico for the first time a few years ago and have been back a few times since. While I absolutely love staying in all-inclusive resorts with amazing all-you-can-eat buffets, drinks and 24-hour snack bars, I also love taking some day trips to immerse myself in some of the history and culture. A few years ago, on my first trip to Mexico, I spent a day climbing some Mayan ruins (Tulum is crazy beautiful), worked up an appetite, then went to a little restaurant and gorged myself on authentic Mexican cuisine. Maybe that’s where my love of this food began.
I’ve now convinced myself that I need to go back to Mexico, pronto.
Dear Matt,
Our anniversary is coming up, isn’t it? Does seven whole (non-married) years together warrant a nice week-long trip to an all-inclusive resort? I think it does. You don’t even have to come, just send me by myself and I’ll celebrate without you, on a white sandy beach, pina colada in hand.
Love, Chels.
While the food I cook at home can’t be called authentic, it certainly floats my boat. These quesadillas are incredibly simple to make and consist of onions, garlic, chicken, red peppers, jalapenos, corn, black beans, chili powder, lime juice, cilantro and a wonderfully melty jalapeno Havarti cheese. Best served with a scoop of sour cream, a squeeze of lime, and a cold beer.
Oh, and this mango and avocado salsa, which happens to be the summeriest salsa I’ve ever made and balances the spiciness of the quesadilla. Toss together a mango, avocado, cilantro, some jalapenos, lime juice and that’s pretty much it. So easy.
I used chicken lunch meat when making these quesadillas because that’s all I had in the fridge I find it easier to use lunch meat (or really thin pieces) in a quesadilla to avoid any really ‘lumpy bits’, for lack of a better term, so the cheese has a more even surface to get all melty on and they’re easier to hold. Shredded rotisserie chicken would also work wonderfully here, or you could even leave the chicken out entirely for a hearty veggie quesadilla!
| Spicy Mexican Quesadillas with Mango Avocado Salsa | | Print |
- Avocado & Mango Salsa:
- 1 avocado, diced
- 1 mango, diced
- ¼ cup cilantro, chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 Tbsp lime juice
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- ¼ tsp salt
- .
- Quesadillas:
- ½ small onion
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 red pepper, diced
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and diced
- 1 can (540oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup frozen corn
- 2 tsp chili powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 lime, juiced
- 170g chicken lunch meat, cut into cubes
- 2 heaping Tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 8 slices jalapeno havarti (or regular havarti), shredded
- 8 wraps
- Sour cream
- Lime (to serve)
- Make salsa: combine all ingredients; set aside.
- In a large skillet, saute onion in oil until softened, about 5 minutes. Add in garlic, red pepper and jalapeno, cooking for another 5 minutes until pepper has softened. Stir in beans, corn, chili powder, salt, pepper, lime juice and chicken and cook until warmed, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.
- Wipe skillet clean and lightly oil with cooking spray.
- Assemble the quesadillas on the skillet: lay one wrap on skillet and sprinkle some cheese on one half. Top with bean mixture, then a bit more cheese, and fold wrap over to make a half-circle shape. Cook for about 2 minutes, flip and cook another 2 minutes until cheese has melted. Repeat with all wraps, slice each into 3 pieces and serve immediately with avocado mango salsa, sour cream and limes.
May, 2016
Hello, I can hardly wait to cook this partcular recipe!