USA! USA!
Tonight was a World Cup night in our home, complete with TV trays set up in the living room for dinner. What could be better for such festivities than something handheld and festive? Chorizo quesadillas – a recipe I concocted for just such an occasion – fit the bill beautifully! Paired with a side of yellow rice, it made a perfect meal that was easy to cook, easy to eat, and celebratory, too.
LeeLee and I both loved the spice of the chorizo – we used Field Roast’s version tonight. I sautéed it with a yellow onion, which brought a hint of sweetness to the dish, and added a diced jalapeno for a little extra kick. Then I infused the pan with all my favorite spices – cumin, garlic powder, and even a hint of ground chipotle powder – and topped it all off with a hearty helping of diced cherry tomatoes for a little cooling-off period. This blend resulted in a wonderfully flavorful dinner that had something for everybody!
And to top it off, the USA beat Ghana! If that isn’t a sweet dessert, I don’t know what is.
CHORIZO QUESADILLAS
serves three
What you’ll need:
1 onion, diced
2 links of chorizo (we used Field Roast tonight and saved the other two links for later!)
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped finely
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. ground chipotle powder
3/4 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
1 package of six medium-size flour tortillas
1 cup cheddar cheese (we used Daiya)
Preheat your oven to 450 degrees.
Spray a medium-sized pan with cooking spray and heat it up to medium. Sauté the diced onion until it becomes translucent, then add the chorizo, separating it into grounds with your hands if necessary. Next, add the jalapeno and spices, and let everything heat up together for about 10 minutes.
Once the ingredients are warm and cooked through, add the cherry tomatoes, stirring to blend everything together. Let the tomatoes warm up for about five minutes, and then it’s time to put your quesadillas together!
Lay three tortillas out on a baking sheet (or two baking sheets, if you have small sheets like mine!) and spoon 1/3 of the mixture on each one. Divide the cheddar among each tortilla and add it atop the chorizo mixture. Next, place the remaining tortillas atop your soon-to-be quesadilla, then spray the tops lightly with cooking spray.
Put the quesadillas in the oven for 10-15 minutes (begin checking after 10), or until the cheese is melted and the top tortilla is slightly golden brown. Once they’re cooked, remove them from the oven and let them cool slightly before cutting them into quarters (I like to use a pizza cutter!). Serve with sour cream, salsa, avocado wedges, a side of rice – whatever floats your boat!
Enjoy!
:)