Stewed Chicken Chipotle And Monterey Jack Quesadillas Recipes

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more. Stir in the chipotle peppers and tomatoes. Cook until most of the liquid from the tomatoes has evaporated and the mixture is thickened, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir in the scallions, honey, chicken, salt and cilantro. Keep warm.
• Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and spray lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Lay a tortilla in the pan and heat until hot to the touch but not crisp (air pockets may form). Flip the tortilla over, then sprinkle ⅔ cup of the cheese evenly overtop, being careful to keep it off the pan. Spread a generous ½ cup of the chicken mixture over half of the tortilla. When the cheese is mostly melted, fold the tortilla over to cover the filling and form a half-moon shape. Cook until the tortilla is crisp and golden and the cheese is melted, adjusting the heat as necessary, a few minutes per side. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Let the quesadillas rest a few minutes to allow the filling to set, then cut into wedges. Serve with sour cream and lime wedges, if desired.
• Note: If you have a large griddle, use that to make the quesadillas so you can make a few at a time. Also, be sure to serve your quesadillas hot of the pan (or off the griddle), otherwise, they'll get soggy and the cheese will harden. If this does happen, you can pop them in a 350 F degree oven to heat them up, but they won't be as crisp and gooey as they are fresh. The chicken mixture can be made up to 2 days ahead, cooled, covered, and refrigerated.
• Note: The nutritional information does not include the optional ingredients.
• Freezer-Friendly Instructions: The cooked quesadillas can be frozen for up to 3 months. After defrosting in the refrigerator, reheat them, wrapped in foil, in a 325°F oven until hot, 20 - 30 minutes.

STEWED CHICKEN, REFRIED BEANS AND OAXACA CHEESE QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Combine the tomatoes, chili powder, garlic, 2/3 cup water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, breaking up the tomatoes with a spoon, for 10 minutes. Add the chicken breast, nestling it in the sauce, and simmer, flipping once, until cooked through, 8 to 9 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate, shred it, and return it to the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
• Lay a tortilla on a work surface and top evenly with 1/2 cup Oaxaca cheese. Add a quarter of the shredded chicken and tomato sauce and a quarter of the beans. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the fillings. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
• Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook one of the quesadillas, flipping once, until golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
• Cut into triangles and serve with the guacamole, salsa, scallions and sour cream.

GRILLED STEAK, CHIPOTLE AND PEPPER JACK QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Preheat an outdoor grill over medium.
• Whisk the garlic, cumin, lime and oranges juices and 1/2 teaspoon salt together in a medium bowl. Add the steak, coat well in the mixture and let marinade for 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil the grill grates. Grill the steak, flipping once, until medium rare, 2 to 6 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Remove to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and reserve.
• Lay a tortilla on a work surface and top evenly with 1/2 cup pepper-jack cheese. Add 1/4 of the steak and some chopped chipotle in adobo and sauce. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose fillings. Repeat with remaining tortillas and ingredients.
• Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook the quesadilla, flipping once, until the cheese is melted and it is golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
• Cut into triangles and serve with guacamole, salsa, scallions and sour cream.

STEWED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash chicken parts. In a large bowl, combine lemon juice, scallions, tomatoes, onion, bell pepper, ketchup, vinegar, sesame oil, cumin, curry powder, herb blend, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder and 3 tablespoons olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add chicken to marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight.
• In a medium Dutch oven, combine 1/3 olive oil and the sugar. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and brush off the vegetables from the chicken pieces, reserving the vegetables. Turn the heat to medium and stir the sugar and allow it to caramelize as the pot gets hot. (It may smoke some so watch for your smoke detector.)
• Carefully but quickly add the chicken to the pot and let the chicken brown in the caramelized sugar, turning the pieces as you go. Once all the chicken has browned, add the vegetables and marinade juices, cover, reduce heat to medium-low and let stew until the chicken is cooked through and tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Half way through, season with salt and pepper.
• Serve over rice or with mashed potatoes.

GRILLED STEAK, ZUCCHINI AND MONTEREY JACK QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Prepare a grill for medium heat.
• Whisk together the cumin, garlic, lime juice, orange juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large bowl and add the steak. Mix well to coat and let marinate for 10 minutes.
• Lightly oil the grill grates and cook the steak, flipping once, until medium rare, 2 to 6 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Remove the steak to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Slice the steak against the grain and then into bite-size pieces.
• Lightly brush the zucchini with oil and grill, flipping as needed, until tender and lightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Cut into bite-size chunks and set aside to cool slightly.
• Lay a tortilla on a work surface and sprinkle evenly with 1/2 cup of the cheese. Arrange one-quarter of both the steak and zucchini on top of the cheese. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the fillings. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, cheese, steak and zucchini.
• Melt 1/2 tablespoon butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Add a quesadilla and cook, flipping once, until golden brown on both sides and the cheese is melted, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining butter and quesadillas.
• Cut the quesadillas into triangles and serve with the chopped scallions, sour cream, guacamole and salsa.

STEWED CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the chicken: Season chicken with salt, pepper, thyme and garlic. Heat two tablespoons of oil in large frying pan over moderately high heat. Brown chicken, turning pieces once, about 4 minutes per side. Add a few teaspoons of water to skillet. Repeat a few times and then add watered flour to make a gravy. As chicken browns, add onions, cover pan and simmer on low heat for 10 to 15 minutes so chicken will stew. (Typically back home in Belize onion was the only vegetable used with the chicken, however many Belizians that are now in the Unites States add bell pepper and tomatoes to this dish.)
• For the rice and beans: Clean beans and check for stones. Put beans in a stockpot with water to cover, thyme, onions, garlic and pepper. Do not add salt at this time because the beans will turn hard. Cover and cook over moderate heat for 1 hour, stirring every 10 minutes and adding a little water if necessary. Cook until beans have softened. Add salt, coconut milk and uncooked rice. Cover and barely simmer over low heat (milk may easily burn) for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.

SPINACH, MUSHROOM AND MONTEREY JACK CHEESE QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Heat 1 tablespoon of the butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/2 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushrooms are dry, about 4 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a small bowl.
• To the same skillet, add the oil. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat until they brown and soften, about 3 minutes. Add the spinach with whatever water clings to the leaves and season with salt and pepper. Increase the heat to high and stir, incorporating any browned bits from the bottom of the pan; cover and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 1 minute.
• Lay a tortilla on a work surface and top evenly with 1/2 cup of the Monterey Jack. Add one-quarter of the mushrooms, one-quarter of the spinach mixture and a few dashes of hot sauce, depending on how spicy you like it. Fold the tortilla in half to enclose the fillings. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and ingredients.
• Melt 1/2 tablespoon of the remaining butter in a large nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Cook a quesadilla, flipping once, until the cheese is melted and it is golden brown on both sides, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a cutting board and repeat with the remaining butter and quesadillas.
• Cut into triangles and serve topped with sour cream, chopped scallions, guacamole and salsa.