La Cocina de Leslie: quesadillas

Showing posts with label quesadillas. Show all posts

Caprichos de Carne Asada - lacocinadeleslie.com

What do you get when you cross a taco with a quesadilla? Some might call them tacodillas or quesatacos, but here in our small town we know them as Caprichos. Caprichos have all the fillings of a traditional Mexican street taco like carne asada, beans, chopped onion, and cilantro AND each capricho is stuffed with lots of ooey, gooey melted cheese.

21 April 2016

Carne Asada Caprichos #ThrowbackThursday

Buttery flour tortillas stuffed with fresh squash blossoms and lots of ooey, gooey melted cheese.

It's fall, ya'll! And with fall comes an abundance of freshly cut flores de calabaza (squash blossoms). Cooking with squash blossoms might seem intimidating, but trust me when I say that there is nothing easier than cooking with this beautiful and vibrant flower. One of the easiest squash blossom recipes I know is Quesadillas de Flor de Calabaza. All you need are three ingredients; squash blossoms, cheese, and flour tortillas. It's that simple. Of course, I like to add a little butter to mine to give the quesadillas their golden hue. Squash Blossom Quesadillas make for a light and delicious meal for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Dress them up with your favorite salsa, guacamole, or sour cream.

01 October 2015

Squash Blossom Quesadillas (de Flor de Calabaza) #ThrowbackThursday

'Tis the day before Thanksgiving and we are all very busy cooking and getting ready for the big day tomorrow. But have you thought about what you're going to eat for dinner tonight? If not, I have a quick and easy dinner idea for you today as part of this week's #WeekdaySupper.

Chile Verde Chicken Quesadillas are one of my go-to meals when I need to get lunch (our biggest meal of the day here in Mexico) on the table in a hurry. Whenever I cook chicken breast, I like to cook extra to help me save time later in the week. But I've also made these quesadillas with leftover rotisserie chicken. And for a complete meal, I like to serve these with my Chopped Salad with Garlic Mexican Crema Dressing.

Chile Verde Chicken Quesadillas

Ingredients:

12 to 15 tomatillos
2 serrano chiles
2 to 3 cups cooked chicken, cubed or
1/4 cup chopped onion
Cheese (I use queso fresco, but you can use your fave cheese)
Cilantro
Corn tortillas
Mexican crema or sour cream

Directions:
Remove husks from the tomatillos, and rinse the tomatillos well with water. In a medium saucepan over medium heat cook the tomatillos and the serrano chiles in 3 cups of water until fully cooked. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Puree the cooked tomatillos and chiles with 1 cup of the water they were cooked in. Pour into a bowl and season with salt.

Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a medium skillet. Add the chopped onion and saute for about 1 minute. Add the chicken and half of the salsa verde. Cook until heated through.

To make the quesadillas, heat the corn tortillas on a comal or griddle until soft and pliable. Spread one side of the tortillas with Mexican crema or sour cream. Spoon a couple of heaping tablespoons of the chicken onto one of the tortillas, and top with another tortilla, cream side down. Heat the quesadillas on a comal and griddle over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes per side or until the cheese has completely melted. Serve with remaining salsa verde. Enjoy!

This Week's #WeekdaySupper menu:

Monday - Ham & Cheese Calzones from The Foodie Army Wife
Tuesday - Spaghetti Ubriachi from Crazy Foodie Stunts
Wednesday - Chicken Chile Verde Quesadillas from La Cocina de Leslie
Thursday - Roast Beef Rice Noodle Salad from Magnolia Days
Friday - Slow Cooker Teriyaki Turkey from Foxes Love Lemons

27 November 2013

Chile Verde Chicken Quesadillas #WeekdaySupper

Where does the time go? It seems like it was just yesterday that the kiddies were getting out of school for summer vacation. And then BAM! It's over. Has it really been six weeks??? My kiddies go back to school tomorrow, although Hope (my 15 year old) started at her new high school on Wednesday.

As short as our summer vacation was, I'm not too sad because I know we packed in as much fun as we could. And that's all that really matters. Not how long or short our vacation was.

My kiddies are all pretty excited to go back to school. Jack's looking forward to finding out who his new teacher is going to be. Ashley's looking forward to showing off her new short 'do to all her friends. Nick's looking forward to being an 8th grader. And Hope is/was looking forward to making new friends at her new school.

This past week I've been busy getting everything ready for the first day of school. We've gone school supply shopping, picked up the kiddies' new uniforms, and I have their backpacks all packed and ready to go. All that's left to do is to pack their lunch. That is actually the easiest of all my back-to-school preparations. Every year, for as long as I can remember, my kiddies have requested the same thing for their First Day of School lunch...Pizzadillas. It looks like a quesadilla on the outside, but it's stuffed with all the same goodies you'd put on a pizza. A pizza quesadilla!

Pizzadillas

Ingredients:

Flour tortillas
1 lb. pepperoni
1-1/2 to 2 cups pizza sauce
Shredded mozarella, Oaxaca, or Asadero cheese
Sliced black olives (optional)
Sliced mushrooms (optional)
Thinly sliced red onion (optional)
Thinly sliced bell pepper (optional)
Sliced jalapeño peppers (canned or homemade)

Directions:
Spread 1 tablespoon of pizza sauce on a flour tortilla. Top with shredded cheese, sliced pepperoni, and whatever other toppings you love. My kiddies love jalapeños and olives on their pizzas, but you could also add some sliced mushrooms and/or bell peppers.

Top with another flour tortilla. Cook the pizzadillas on a lightly greased comal or skillet over low heat, until both sides of the quesadilla are lightly golden and the cheese has melted. Serve with pizza sauce on the side. Enjoy!

For more lunchbox recipes, check out what my #SundaySupper friends have cooked up for you this week:

Sandwiches, Wraps and Entrees:

Back to School Lunch Box Sandwich Roll Ups & Pinwheels from Daily Dish Recipes
Baked Ham and Cheese Rolls from Big Bear’s Wife
Balsamic Butter Beans with Smoked Sausage and Spinach from Eat, Move, Shine
British Bento Lunch Box from Ninja Baking
Carrot Cake and Zucchini Bread “Sushi” from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
Chicken Karaage Bento from The Urban Mrs
Chicken Taquitos from Basic N Delicious
Greek-style Spinach Hand Pies from Kimchi MOM
Ground Chicken Burrito Bowl from Casa de Crews
Homemade Uncrustables from Treats & Trinkets
Indian Spiced Chicken Meatball Wraps from Soni’s Food
Madam Wong’s Pizza Rolls from Food Lust People Love
Malibu Chicken Tortilla Pinwheels from Home Cooking Memories
Peanut Butter & Jelly Rolls from Killer Bunnies, Inc
Pizzadillas from La Cocina de Leslie
Potato Mushroom and Cheese Focaccia from Family Foodie
Sausage Roll Ups from The Food Army Wife
Scotch Eggs from My Cute Bride
Stawberry and Chicken Pasta Salad with Strawberry Vinaigrette from Table for Seven
Turkey, Pesto and Sun-Dried Tomato Wraps from La Bella Vita Cucina

Munchies, Salads and Sides:

Almond Citrus Salad from No One Likes Crumbley Cookies
Banana Bread Muffins from Curious Cuisiniere
Best Basic Hummus from Supper for a Steal
Blueberries & Cream Granola from The Messy Baker
Blueberry Egg Bagels from What Smells So Good?
Cheese Cracker Recipe from Growing Up Gabel
Chickpea and Raisin Salad from Mama’s Blissful Bites
Creamy Orzo & Peas {Dairyfree} from The Not So Cheesy Kitchen
Mini griddle cakes from Noshing with the Nolands
Quinoa and Green Bean Salad with Tibetan Dressing from Healthy. Delicious.

Sweet Treats:

Biscoff White Chocolate Blondies from Cookin’ Mimi
Caramel and Rolo Rice Krispie Treats from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
Chocolate Chip Cookie Rice Crispy Treats from Pixie Dust Kitchen
Cinnamon Zucchini Brownies from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
Cocoa Crispy Sunbutter Bars from Alida’s Kitchen
Cookie Butter Granola Bites from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
Fluffernutter Banana Dogs from Ruffles & Truffles
“Free” Brownies from Jane’s Adventure in Dinner
Honey Oat Bars from Magnolia Days
No Bake Peanut Butter Rice Krispies Cookies from Pies and Plots
Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Granola Cookies from Peanut Butter and Peppers

A big thank you to That Skinny Chick Can Bake for hosting this week's #SundaySupper Lunchbox party. Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter each Sunday. We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm EST. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here → Sunday Supper Movement.

18 August 2013

Pizzadillas #SundaySupper

Once upon a time, not too long ago, our entire family packed everything but the kitchen sink into our trucks and headed to El Rancho for a 3-day camping trip during Semana Santa.

Semana Santa is the Holy Week, including Good Friday, leading up to Easter Sunday. We would be camping Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Good Friday and Holy Saturday! The two days of Semana Santa, when Catholics refrain from eating meat and poultry. We had two large ice chests filled with fish for our Fish Fry, along with shrimp and pulpo (octopus) for a delicious Sopa de Mariscos.

But Thursday was another story. We could eat all of the meat we wanted on that day! And we definitely planned on doing so. The menu for that day was a traditional Carne Asada with all of the fixings.

Before heading to El Rancho, one of my brothers-in-law picked up the 3 kilos of bistec (thin-cut steaks) he had pre-ordered that morning..

After settling in and setting up camp, we worked up quite an appetite. We fired up the grill and were ready to start grilling the meat.

But there was one little problem.

The steaks were frozen solid! The butcher popped them into his freezer to keep them cold until my brother-in-law arrived to pick them up.

UH-OH!!!

We all looked around to see what we had on hand and quickly decided to use the chorizo we were going to grill anyway and the cheese that we were going to use for the Roasted Stuffed Yellow Peppers to make Choriqueso.

We all enjoyed a delicious meal and camped happily ever after.

And we learned a valuable lesson...When life hands you frozen steaks, make Choriqueso!

Choriqueso

Ingredients:

1 pound chorizo
16 oz. asadero or adobera cheese
8 oz. fresh mushrooms, sliced

Directions:
Cut the chorizo links into 2 to 3 pieces (or more), depending on the size of the links. If you're in the U.S., be sure to remove the plastic casing. If you're in Mexico, you don't have to remove the casing, because most of the time it's made from intestines. (Chorizo is the ONLY instance where I can handle eating something that exotic!)

Heat an olla de barro (clay pot) over a medium flame on the grill. Add the chorizo and let cook until it's cooked through; drain off any fat.

Add the sliced mushrooms. This is where you can get real creative. You can add chopped tomato, sliced onion, sliced jalapeños or serrano peppers. Let cook for about 5 minutes until the mushrooms are slightly tender.

Layer the cheese on top of the chorizo.

Lots and lots of cheese! Let simmer over a low flame until the cheese has completely melted.

Serve with Totopos (tortilla chips) or warm corn tortillas. Enjoy!!!

11 July 2011

Outdoor Cooking {Choriqueso}

With the Super Bowl just days away, I am officially declaring that this week, on La Cocina de Leslie, is Snack Week! Every day this week, I will share quick and easy recipes for delicious snacks
you can enjoy for any occasion.

There's really nothing easier, or tastier, than Quesadillas de Chorizo. With as little as three ingredients, you can get your snack on! No measuring required.

Quesadillas de Chorizo

Ingredients:

Chorizo
Queso Fresco, Oaxaca or Mozzarella Cheese
Flour or Corn Tortillas

Directions:
In a medium skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chorizo; until the chorizo is completely cooked. Remove from heat; set aside.

Heat the tortillas on a griddle or comal, over medium-low heat, just until soft and pliable. Do not remove the griddle or comal from the heat.

Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooked chorizo and cheese onto tortilla; fold tortillas in half.

Melt 1 tablespoon of butter on the griddle or comal. Heat the quesadillas on the griddle or comal, until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the cheese inside has melted.

Serve with Refried Beans and/or sour cream, guacamole and your favorite salsa. Enjoy!!!

01 February 2011

Chorizo Quesadillas

I love today's recipe and not just because of the name. The word Gringa is usually used in reference to American women. But it's also a delicious taco.

Gringas are the perfect combination of real Mexican tacos and quesadillas made with flour tortillas. My favorite restaurant offers both Gringas and Caprichos. (And Sincronizadas!)

Caprichos are made with corn tortillas.

I prefer to cook el bistec (thin cut steak) whole, then chop it into bite-size pieces. But you can chop the meat first. It's entirely up to you. As is your choice of cheese. I use either Queso Fresco or Oaxaca cheese, but mozzarella or your favorite Mexican blend will work.

I also use a large griddle that fits over two burners. On one half I cook the meat and on the other I use to heat the quesadillas. You can use two griddles or skillets. No special equipment necessary.

Gringas

Ingredients:

2 pounds thin cut beef steak (I use filete)
6 to 8 oz. Queso Fresco or Oaxaca or Mozzarella cheese
Flour Tortillas
2 cups Cooked Beans
Chopped Onion
Chopped Cilantro
Red and Green Salsas

Directions:
Heat a large skillet, griddle or comal over medium-high heat. Season the steaks with salt and pepper. Cook the thin steaks on the griddle until cooked the way you like them. (I like medium-rare, Hubby and the kiddies like them well-done.) Transfer the meat to a cutting board and chop into bite size pieces. *While the meat is cooking, heat the cooked beans.

While the meat is cooking, heat the flour tortillas, in a separate skillet, until soft and pliable. Top one flour tortilla with desired amount of cheese. (Not too much, because you are going to add meat and fixings.)

Place another heated flour tortilla on top of the cheese. Continue heating on the griddle until cheese has melted completely. (This is where I like to add a little butter. It helps give the quesadillas a nice golden color.)

Transfer the quesadillas to a plate. Spoon 3 to 4 tablespoon of chopped bistec (meat) in center of quesadilla. Top with desired amount of cooked beans.

Fold your quesadilla in half and voila...your taco/quesadilla is now a Gringa. Garnish with chopped onion and cilantro. Serve with Red and Green Salsas.

12 October 2010

Gringas {Carne Asada Quesadillas/Tacos}

Mexican Independence Day is just around the corner. The entire country is abuzz with preparations for the big Bicentennial celebration. It's also the time of the year that I really start craving Mexican "antojitos".

Mexican food doesn't get much simpler than the quesadilla. In it's classic form, all you need is a tortilla (corn or flour) and a little cheese. All I can say is, "Viva la comida Mexicana!"

Classic Quesadillas

Ingredients:

Corn or flour tortillas (I used corn)
6 to 8 oz. queso Oaxaca, thinly sliced (or substitute Mozzarella)

Directions:
Heat a comal or griddle over medium heat. Warm the tortillas slightly on the comal.

Place a couple of thin slices of cheese on one half of the tortilla. Fold the tortilla in half and set aside.

Cook the quesadillas on the comal until the cheese has completely melted.

Serve with Chile de Molcajete, Pico de Gallo or Guacamole. Enjoy!!!

Look at all that melted yummy-ness!

07 September 2010

Say Queso! {Classic Quesadillas}

We've spent the last two days at El Rancho. Not that any of us mind. The six of us absolutely love being there.

Yesterday was no different.

Although it was Good Friday, which is the last Friday of Cuaresma, we had the best dinner. So good in fact, that I just had to share it with you and hopefully make up for the absence of yesterday's Meat-Free Friday.

A little rustic. Four ingredients. Very easy to put together. And oh-so-delicious!

My brother-in-law first tried these Quesadillas de Camaron (Shrimp Quesadillas) in Puerto Vallarta. Only there, they were called Tacos de Gobernador (Governor's Tacos) and sold for 28 pesos a taco.

He later found these very same tacos at a restaurant in Guadalajara where they were called Tacos de Presidente (President's Tacos) and were a little cheaper at 22 pesos each.

But why spend that much money when you can make them at home? We made these on the grill, but they can also be made on a comal or griddle. Add a little salad or Mexican Rice and you've got yourself one delicious meal!

Quesadillas de Camaron

Ingredients:

1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
Queso Fresco, Queso Adobera or your favorite cheese blend
American Cheese slices
Corn tortillas

Directions:
Heat the corn tortillas slightly, over low heat. Place a slice of Queso Fresco on each tortilla.

Top with 2 to 3 shrimp and half a slice of American cheese.

Fold tortillas in half and continue to cook, turning occasionally, until the cheeses have completely melted and the shrimp have turned pink. To serve, top with Chile de Molcajete or your favorite salsa. Enjoy!!!

With Love,

03 April 2010

Quesadillas de Camaron {Grilled Shrimp Quesadillas}

If you've been following my blog, then you've probably noticed that I'm a bit obsessed with Poblano peppers. But really, what's not to love? They're the perfect pepper...not too spicy and not too sweet. And they are so versatile.

Poblano peppers are pretty popular in Mexico, too. They are used for preparing some of my favorite dishes like: Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada and Rajas con Crema.

One of the first things I noticed when I moved to Mexico is that whenever a dish is prepared with poblano peppers, onion and corn, the dish is usually called ___________ Poblano. (Case in point, my recipe for Arroz Poblano.)

Today's recipe is no different. A mixture of roasted poblano peppers, golden corn kernels, onion, shredded chicken and lots of yummy melted cheese make for one heck of a tasty quesadilla.

Quesadillas de Pollo Poblano

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken breast, cooked and shredded
2 large poblano peppers
1 small can corn kernels
2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons Mexican crema
1-1/2 cups shredded Oaxaca, Asadero or Mozzarella cheese
Butter (optional)
Flour tortillas

Directions:

Roast the poblano peppers on a comal or griddle until the skin is completely charred. Immediately place the peppers inside a plastic bag; let set for 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the charred skin, stems and seeds.

Slice or chop the peppers.

In a medium bowl, combine the shredded chicken, poblano peppers, corn kernels, and onion. Stir in 2 tablespoons of Mexican crema: season with salt and pepper.

Spoon 2 to 3 tablespoons of the filling in center of warm flour tortillas.

Top with a couple tablespoons of shredded cheese. Fold the tortillas in half.

Over low heat, cook the quesadillas on a comal or griddle that has been lightly greased with a little butter. (The butter is optional but oh-so-tasty!)