Amazing Quesedillas

Season: Spring

Roger Bass, Assistant Deli Manager, 16th & Madison

Whip up a batch of these simple but delicious quesedillas on Cinco de Mayo, or any time you're looking for a quick snack. Pick up your 5 de Mayo 2014 supplies at Central Co-op on the day of, because 1% of our sales on Cinco de Mayo will be donated to social justice organization Casa Latina, which provides education, training, and advocacy for day laborers in Seattle.

Ingredients:

• Large flour tortillas
• Grated Oaxaca cheese
• Olive oil or butter

Optional: Sliced mushrooms, green onions, sliced black olives, diced tomatoes, cooked chicken pieces, or avocado.

Make it vegan: Sub the Oaxaca for Daiya dairy-free cheese (it melts!) for a vegan version.

Directions:

• Heat a large cast iron frying pan or other heavy frying pan to medium-high heat. Add a small amount of oil/butter, and spread around the bottom of the pan.
• Place one flour tortilla in the pan. Flip it a few times, about 10 seconds between flips. Air pockets should begin to form within the tortilla.
• When the air pockets begin forming, take a handful of grated cheese, sprinkle over the top of the tortilla, making sure that the cheese does not land on the pan itself. Add whatever additional ingredients you choose, but take care not to layer on the ingredients too thickly.
• Reduce the heat to low and cover the pan. The cast iron pan should be hot enough by now to have plenty of residual heat to melt the cheese and brown the tortilla. After a minute, check to see if the cheese is melted. If not, return the cover and keep checking every minute until the cheese is melted.
• When the cheese is sufficiently melted, use a spatula to lift up one side of the quesadilla and flip over the other side, as if you were making an omelet. The tortilla should be browned slightly. If it is not browned, turn the heat up to high and flip the quesadilla over every 10 seconds or so until it is.
• Remove from pan and cut into wedges. Serve with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, and Chunky Guacamole.

Keywords: snacks, kids recipes, cheese, vegetarian, vegan