Snack food in a jiffy … this is my kind of cooking … and I mean it. It could not be any easier than this; literally just six ingredients went into making the quesadillas and it was a hit with the boyfriend (who is a picky eater by nature). And that is considered a win in my house.
My first ever experience with a quesadilla was a night out with my girlfriends at a local bar. We had not seen each other for a good few years after I had moved away to pursue my career as a nurse in neighbouring Singapore. Anyway, cocktails and nibblies soon arrived at our table and back then I couldn’t even pronounced the name ‘quesadillas’; that’s how un-foodielike I was. But the first impression was a pretty good one, even if it was simply bland pieces of chicken and heaps of melted cheese. Not a lot of flavour going on but it was a pleasant warm snack nonetheless.
Years later I found myself at Taco Bills, Melbourne. Yes, I went there. Anyway, this was my chance to get reacquainted with the chicken and cheese pocket however, at A$ 9.50 per portion, I thought that was a bit extreme. It was served as an appetizer for goodness sake! Why does it have to be so expensive?? Well I am here to tell you that with as little as six simple ingredients you can have a tasty homemade version for a fraction of the price. Price wars aside, I think you should make your own simply because it just tastes better.
Ingredients:
- 2 skinless chicken breasts
- Cajun seasoning
- 1 red onion, sliced thinly in half-moons
- Bunch of fresh coriander leaves
- 8 soft tortillas
- 1 cup grated cheese
Slice each chicken breast in half, lengthwise to produce four thinner pieces of meat that will cook more evenly.
Sprinkle with cajun seasoning and set aside while you heat some oil and a little butter in a pan. You can use all oil if you want but butter does help give the chicken a nice colour. Improves the flavour too.
Remove chicken from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place. Meanwhile, construct your quesadillas. Start with a layer of cheese on the first tortilla. Then add cut up pieces of chicken. Onions and coriander leaves to follow, then a final layer of cheese to stick it all together. If you like a bit of colour then adding diced red peppers and chunks of avocado wouldn’t be a bad idea.
In a clean non-stick pan that’s been preheated, place the tortilla in it for about 2 – 3 mins per side. Once each side is a crisp golden brown, remove from pan and cut into wedges. Soooooooo delicious and it can be on the table in under 30 mins.
Don’t have a bottle of cajun seasoning on hand? Never mind … just make your own by combining
– smokey paprika
– cayenne pepper
– ground black pepper
– garlic powder
– onion powder
– salt
– pinch of sugar
– dry oregano
– dry thyme
~ Enjoy ~
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