QUESADILLAS
This week, the Babish Culinary Universe is going through a serious cheese phase. No, I'm not upset about it either. Pop a lactose supplement and lube up your favorite frying pan, because we're about to make taco night look like a punk.
Special Equipment List
Spice grinder or coffee grinder
Shopping List
For Chicken Quesadillas
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Monterey jack cheese, grated
3 chicken breasts, butterflied and pounded thin
Flour tortillas
Sauteed peppers and onions (optional)
2-3 Tbsp oil per quesadilla
Guac, salsa, and sour cream for serving
For Chicken Marinade
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp oregano
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp cayenne
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp white sugar
1 lime, juiced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground pepper
For Steak Quesadilla
1 skirt or hangar steak
Salt and pepper
Vegetable oil
Diced onion and pepper (to cook after the steak)
Monterey jack cheese, grated
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Flour tortillas
For Vegetarian Quesadilla
1 zucchini, finely chopped
1 can corn, drained and rinsed
Vegetable oil
Monterey jack cheese, grated
Sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Flour tortillas
For Guacamole
2 avocados
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1 large jalapeno, seeded and diced
2 cloves garlic, grated
1 lime, juiced
Cumin, to taste
Salt and pepper, to taste
Method
Chicken Quesadilla
Start by butterflying your chicken breasts. Place them between sheets of plastic wrap and pound them out flat and even.
Make a chicken marinade: In a bowl combine 2 Tbsp vegetable oil, 2 crushed cloves of garlic, 1 tsp oregano, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 tsp cayenne, 1 tsp smoked paprika, 1 tsp white sugar, juice of 1 lime, 1 Tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk to combine.
Place your chicken in a ziploc bag along with your marinade. Get all the air out and zip shut. Massage marinade to ensure an even coating.
Place in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes and up to 4 hours.
Preheat skillet over high heat with some vegetable oil. Remove chicken from ziploc and cook until the internal temperature reaches 155°F.
Remove from heat, let cool, and then slice.
In the same skillet cook some peppers and onions in a little bit of vegetable oil. Cook until soft, and set aside.
Steak Quesadilla
Liberally salt and pepper your skirt steak and then let rest for 30 minutes before adding to a preheated skillet over high heat that’s lined with vegetable oil.
Flip after 3-5 minutes, or once it’s attained a golden brown crust. Cook for another 3-5 minutes until your desired internal temperature has been reached. Mine is 125°F. Remove from heat and let rest, covering it with aluminum foil.
Slice the steak into 3 inch long segments and then slice across the grain.
In the same skillet cook some peppers and onions in a little bit of vegetable oil. Cook until soft, and set aside.
Vegetarian Quesadilla
Start by finely chopping your zucchini. Add to a large nonstick skillet with a little bit of olive oil. Cook for a minute before adding your corn and then cook both over a high heat. Set aside.
Guacamole
In a bowl combine 2 ripe avocados, ½ a finely chopped small red onion, 1 chopped jalapeno (remove seeds if you don’t want it too hot), 2 cloves of grated garlic, the juice of 1 lime, 1 tsp cumin, salt and pepper.
Mix to combine.
Quesadilla Assembly
Start by grating some monterey jack and some sharp cheddar cheese. Set that aside.
Preheat your pan over medium heat.
For the chicken or steak quesadillas, add your protein to a flour tortilla, top with peppers, onions, and cheese. Fold in half and place in a skillet over medium heat with some vegetable oil.
For the vegetable quesadilla, add your zucchini and corn mixture to a corn tortilla and top with cheese. Press down a little bit on the tortilla to press everything together so your veggies don’t fall out when you flip your tortilla. Fold in half and place in a skillet over medium heat with some vegetable oil.
Flip after 1 ½ minutes, when it’s golden brown and then cook the other side for 1 ½ minutes as well.
Remove from heat, slice up, serve and enjoy!