Healthy Snacks: Quesadillas

Quesadillas  a tasty, healthy kids’ snack.

More Healthy Snacks for Kids

No one can quite agree on a definitive definition of a quesadilla, but the elements most descriptions have in common is it’s a tortilla stuffed with cooked meat and cheese, then cooked until the cheese melts and the outside of the tortilla is crisp and toasty!

Such simple ingredients, but they add up to something simply delicious kids will be happy to make and eat!

Quesadillas are usually made with flour tortillas which come in 8″ or 12″ sizes.  Some folks enjoy corn tortillas but then you are making soft tacos.

Depending on how many little mouths you have to feed, this snack can be as easy as tossing some cheese and pre-cooked chicken and veggie mixture between two tortillas and heating it in a skillet.

Slice it like a pizza and the kids have a utensils-free food to enjoy. If you have more than a couple kids to feed, double up on everything and put the quesadillas on a baking sheet in the oven at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C.) until the cheese is melted.

Quesadillas

There are two camps…for making quesadillas, or cheese crisps like the folks in Arizona call them.

1.    The fold over camp.  Those who prefer to put their cheese and fillings on one side of the tortilla and fold over the other half so that the tortilla is baked or grilled in a half moon shape.

2.    The stacking camp.

The concept is the same except that with this style you put your fixings on one tortilla and then place another tortilla on top so you have 2 tortillas that are grilled on each side and the gooey cheese in the middle helps them stick together. These are best for slicing into pizza slices and serving in wedges with a nice side of salsa, sour cream and guacamole!

You choose what works best for you!

MIXIN’ suggestions for delicious quesadillas!

1.    Cheese glorious Cheese!  Experiment! Any kind of cheese will do…..something that will melt and stick together…..cheddar, mozzarella, pepper jack.

2.    Veggies choose one or all!

• Sliced or chopped tomatoes

• Green ,red or yellow peppers

• Green chile for those who like a spicy snack!

• Diced onions fresh or grilled

Refried Beans or Black beans

3.    Turkey

4.    Ham

5.    Diced cooked chicken

6.    Sliced beef or fajita steak

Toppings and dipping sauces:

1.    Homemade Salsa (recipe  see other blog)

2.    Sour cream

3.    BBQ sauce

4.    Guacamole

Quesadillas are an easy and healthy snack and the best part is you can make them any way you choose!

I really like the fresh flavor of calabacitas and cilantro………….mixed with sourcream and homemade salsa!  This is a flavor I could eat everyday.  Try it and see what you think?  

Quesadilla con Calabacitas

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, chopped
1teaspoons ground cumin
3 large zucchini (about 1 1/4 pounds), trimmed, grated
3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 cup of corn,
3 tablespoons minced seeded jalapeños
4  11-inch flour tortillas
12 ounces grated Monterey Jack cheese or cheddar cheese, grated (about 4 cups)

Heat 1  tablespoon of oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and cumin and sauté until tender, about 9 minutes. Add zucchini and garlic to skillet. Sauté until mixture is dry and zucchini is tender, about 14 minutes add corn, and season with salt. Add, jalapeños or chopped green chile and cook 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl; cool.

Place 1 tortilla in heated pan with ½ table spoon of oil . Sprinkle 1/4 of cheese over top evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 zucchini mixture over cheese. Sprinkle more cheese over. Top with tortilla and press firmly to compact quesadilla. 

Cover and cook until bottom is golden brown, about 4 minutes , flip over and cook until other side is golden brown as well. . Using spatula, slide quesadilla onto plate. Add remaining  oil to skillet. Repeat with remaining ingredients.  Transfer to platter. Let stand 5 minutes.. Cut into wedges and serve with cilantro sour cream or homemade salsa. Makes 2 large quesadillas serves 4-6 pp.

Cilantro Sour cream:

Mix chopped cilantro into sourcream and stir for a flavorful topping

Quick  Homemade Salsa:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 large can of 28 oz chopped , diced or whole tomatoes

• 1/ 2 of an onion chopped

• 2 cloves of garlic OR 1 tsp of garlic powder

• 1 jalapeno, seeded, chopped

• Cilantro (optional)

• 1/2 tsp salt

• 1tsp of olive oil

• 1 tsp of lime juice

 Put all ingredients into the blender and pulse on and off until salsa is mixed but still has a chunky texture.

Do not over mix or it will become smooth and runny ( unless you like your salsa this way!)   Pour into a bowl and salt and pepper to taste.  Serve with quesadillas.

Green Chile quiche……casserole

4-6 servings

Jobs for little hands!

• Grate the cheese
• Layer the cheese and chiles in the pan
• Crack the eggs into a bowl ( with parental help)
• Stir and pour the wet ingredients into the pan!

This casserole is also very simple and tastes great with a tossed salad and fresh french bread.. Fresh green chiles give it the best flavor.

Ingredients:

21/2 Cups fresh chopped chile or canned chile

1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese, divided

1/3 cup milk

4 eggs, lightly beaten

Add Garlic salt and pepper to taste

dash of hot sauce

DIRECTIONS:

•1.        Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

•2.        Sray an 8×12 inch baking dish with non stick cooking spray .

•3.        Line the bottom of dish with green chiles.

•4.        Sprinkle with 1/2 cup shredded cheese. Repeat layers twice more.

•5.         In a medium bowl, whisk together milk and eggs.

•6.         Season with salt and pepper and hot sauce. Pour egg mixture over chiles and cheese.

•7.        Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until filling is set.

•8.         Let stand 5 to 10 minutes before serving.

Sweet Corn Cakes

( Yummy especially when made with fresh corn!)

1. 1/2 cup butter, softened
2. 1 cup masa harina
3. 1/4 cup water
4. 1 1/2 corn kernels, fresh or frozen/ thawed
5. 1/4 cup cornmeal
6. 1/3 cup white sugar
7. 2 tablespoons heavy cream
8. 1/4 teaspoon salt
9. 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in the masa harina and water until well combined.
3. Put the corn in a blender or food processor and coarsely chop on low speed. Stir the corn and the cornmeal into the butter mixture. In another bowl, mix together the sugar, cream, salt and baking powder. Combine the two mixtures until well blended. Pour the batter into an ungreased 8×8 pan.
4. Cover the pan with foil and place into a 9×13 inch pan filled 3/4 inch high with hot water. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the cake comes out clean. Remove small pan from water and let sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Kids Jobs:

1. Have kids carefully beat the butter and the masa harina with a mixer.  Kids love using the beaters and  need practice keeping them inside the bowl!
2. Have kids measure out the corn into a measuring cup.  If using fresh corn, little ones can use plastic knives or butter knives to scrape the kernels off the cob  and into a large bowl and then measure them out.
   
3. Kids love using a blender, let them blend the corn mixture and then combine the two mixtures together.

Roasted Corn Salad With Queso Blanco

SERVES 4

Change to:

Servings

US

Metric

Fall is in the air. The smell of green chile roasting outside,  the leaves changing colors over the Bosque and the brisk mornings where the early skies are filled with rainbow colored balloons that prepare our city for the Albuquerque International  Balloon Fiesta .

Fall  is a time for reflection and change.  It is a time to say goodbye to summer and settle down into the cooler months. Its my favorite time of year, and one that always reminds me of the traditional New Mexican Fall festivals.  This weekend September 27-28 marks the beginning of the Corrales Harvest Festival, which is always a treat. Even the drive through Corrales during this time of year is a pleasure.  The town is vibrant, the harvest is ripe with corn, and pumpkins, and the fields mowed and ready for the onslaught of visitors.

It is also time for the International Hot Air Balloon Fiesta, which we host every year during the first week of October.  If you have ever looked into the sky and seen 100s of hot air balloons floating by you know what a uniquely beautiful site it is to behold.   My daughter and I usually visit the festivals each year and enjoy our share of local New Mexican cuisine.

New Mexicans celebrate this time of year with several unique dishes and most of them include lots of local green chile , squash and beans.  All these ingredients are traditionally  New Mexican  and been  used in Native American cooking for centuries.  They were  later translated into Mexican food and continue to be a part of the local flavor of the Southwest.

If any of you want to taste some great traditional Native cooking……..do stop by the Pueblo Harvest Café in Albuquerque at the Indian Pueblo Cultural center.   I am currently working over there part time and the Executive Chef  Jason Upshaw,  has done a fabulous job creating a Native fusion menu that features ingredients that are native to the 19 pueblos and combines them in a classical cooking style.

Enjoy the cooler weather and make sure to make time to cook up some chile.  I will be sharing several new recipes with you that use some of these native ingredients in the days ahead.  Fall is here!!

Chile Verde: Green Chile Stew

Prep Time: 15 minutes  Cook Time: 5 hrs.

1 1/2 pounds chicken or pork boneless and diced to cubes

·        2 cups chicken broth

·        1 cup green chile sauce (homemade see above or in a jar)

·        1 cup tomatillos, husks removed and coarsely chopped

·        2 roasted green chiles, seeded and diced

·        4 cloves of garlic, peeled and diced

·        1 medium onion, peeled and diced

·        1/4 teaspoon black pepper

·        2 cup of chopped tomatoes, canned or fresh

·        1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped (optional)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar*
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 cups purified water

Preparation:

Brown the chicken or pork in a small amount of olive oil, over high heat.

Place the browned chicken or pork, chile sauce and tomatillos into a crock pot set on low, or a large, covered pot over low heat. Simmer for 2 hours. Add remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 2 hours. Check every 30 minutes and add water as necessary. Serve hot.

Summer Squash with its beautiful colors of yellow and green, and delicate flavor, is a great addition to many everyday recipes, and especially tasty in many desserts!

Summer squash and zucchini seem to be extra abundant in New Mexico this year! When I start to see the colorful yellow and green veggies in all shapes and sizes mounded up at the natural markets and food stands, I immediately think of calabacitas and roasted green chile! It’s kind of a tradition here in New Mexico to turn the first squashes of the season into a traditionally Native American medley called Calabacitas and prepare for the cool fall weather.

This week, I will share several great recipes for using up the bountiful harvest that many of you have picked from your own summer gardens or picked up at the farmers market.

Calabacitas

Calabacitas is a mixture of diced yellow neck squash and green zucchini, mixed with fresh kernels of corn, garlic and onions to create a delightful and nutritious side dish. Here in New Mexico we naturally add roasted green chili to the mixture to add a unique NM flavor. Many folks from around the country may have their own version of this recipe which highlights their region. Please feel free to share your recipes with us as well!

Traditional Calabacitas con Queso (with cheese)

Ingredients

Zucchini Cobbler:

This recipe seems to be a great hit according to many of the folks on http://www.allrecipes.com/ . It tastes in many ways like fresh apple cobbler, except without the apples! Try it…….I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

I think the key in this one, is to use tender squash and cut back the amount of zucchini.

INGREDIENTS

6 cups peeled, chopped zucchini (sliced thinly)

• 2/3 cup lemon juice
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups white sugar
• 1 1/2 cups butter, chilled
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, cook and stir zucchini and lemon juice until zucchini is tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon and nutmeg and cook one minute more. Remove from heat and set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease a 10×15 inch baking dish. In a large bowl, combine flour and 2 cups sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir 1/2 cup of butter mixture into zucchini mixture. Press half of remaining butter mixture into bottom of prepared pan. Spread zucchini mixture over top of crust, and sprinkle remaining butter mixture over zucchini. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon cinnamon.
3. Bake 35 to 40 minutes, or until top is golden. Serve warm or cold.

Zippy Zucchini! Makes 6 servings
INGREDIENTS

• 4 zucchinis, thinly sliced
  
• 1 cup buttermilk baking mix
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
  
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  
• 4 eggs, beaten
  

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
   
2. In a medium size mixing bowl combine zucchini, buttermilk baking mix, onion, parmesan cheese, salt, oil, eggs. Spread lightly into a 9×13 inch baking pan. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve warm.