Quiche-adilla

Once in awhile, two worlds collide so perfectly, you can't help but stand back in awed delight.  It happened in our kitchen this weekend.  A quiche and quesadilla crashed into one another, and fell instantly, madly in love.  This is the result.  Meet the quiche-adilla, a gluten-free master piece of epic portions.  It's light and airy, filled with savory spices and seasonal ingredients, atop a hearty corn tortilla.

Quiche-adilla

2 Corn Tortillas, each cut into 4 wedges
1/2 lb. Breakfast Sausage (we like the spicy kind)
1 Zucchini, diced

1 Red Pepper, diced

5 Eggs

1/4 C. Milk
Paprika
Onion Powder
Cheese of your choice
S&P

Preheat oven to 375.

Grease the bottom of a 9" pan.  Place the tortilla wedges in the pan to form the crust.  Sprinkle with S&P.

Heat a skillet over medium heat.  Brown the breakfast sausage, zucchini and red pepper.  Meanwhile, whisk the eggs, milk and seasonings.

Carefully transfer the breakfast sausage mixture to the pan, spreading evenly over the tortilla crust.  Pour the egg mixture on top and sprinkle with cheese.

Bake for 20-25 minutes until cooked through and golden brown.

Honduran Holiday Pork

This recipe is inspired by a traditional holiday meal served in Honduras.  I fell in love with it over dinner with a friend’s family and now I make it every year around the holidays.  This pork is dynamic and robust, with wonderful citrus flavors and smoky spices.  It’s incredibly easy to make and it will fill your home with delectable aromas.

Guide to Latin T Dishes:

Torta - sandwich on soft bread
Tortilla - obvious, but flat bread made from corn or flour
Tostada - crispy tortilla piled high with latin goodies
Taquito - rolled and fried tortilla with meat and cheese
Taco - if I have to explain this one to you, you may be reading the wrong blog

Crockpot Orange Pork

1 Pork Shoulder (one that will fit in your crockpot)
Salt & Pepper
1 T. plus 1 t. Smoked Paprika, divided
1 T. plus 1 t. Cumin, divided
1 T. plus 1 t. Sugar, divided
2 Red Onions, cut into slices
2 Oranges, cut into large chunks
1 Lime, cut into large chunks
¼ C. Olive oil
2 Tablespoons butter
Cilantro, Orange slices & Avocado, for garnish
Tortillas, for serving

Add the pork and onions to a large bowl and sprinkle generously with salt, pepper and the spices.  Squeeze the citrus over the pork and drizzle with the olive oil.  Cover the bowl with plastic and marinate overnight. 

In the morning, squeeze whatever is left from the citrus over the meat and onions.  Remove the citrus from the bowl and discard.  Carefully transfer the pork, onions and marinade from the bowl to a crockpot.  Set to high and cook for 8-9 hours until the pork is cooked through, tender and pulls apart easily with a fork. 

Move the pork to a large bowl and shred with 2 forks.  Skim the fat from the juices in the crockpot and doctor up the sauce with the butter and about one teaspoon of smoked paprika, cumin and sugar.  Season with salt and pepper, to taste.  Add the meat back to the crockpot so it can soak up all those good flavors. 

To serve, pile the pork onto a warm tortilla and garnish with fresh cilantro, orange and avocado. 

Happy holidays and happy eating!

Roasted Corn & Bacon Quesadillas

Lately, I’ve been craving Mexican food, like RULL bad.  When I lived in Phoenix, it was easily accessible.  All you had to do was stick your nose in the air and take a deep breath and you’d know where to find the nearest tacos, tortas, chimichangas and menudo.  Of course I had my favorite restaurants and dishes, but they really were available anywhere and everywhere. 

Now, living in the Middle West, they are much harder to come by.  I sure miss the old days when, after a drunken night on the town, I could revel in some Carne Asada French Fries on the walk home.   I have yet to find this greasy, magnificent treat in CBUS. 

Living away from the ubiquitous taquerias of Phoenix, I now make my Mexican food at home.  Good thing Sean and our roommate Morgan love spicy meat, rice and beans wrapped in tortillas as much as I do. 

So, to jump back into Mexican food, I’m making easy Quesadillas.  When I was in college, people called these “cheese crisps” and it always turned me off.  The “crisp” part never made it to the plate.  Melted cheese in flaccid tortillas.  Ehh.  No thanks.  Then, I tasted some gourmet quesadillas.  I’ll never go back to cheese crisps.  To make a successful quesadilla, all you need are a few layers of flavor and you’re set to go!  Keep it interesting and your guests will keep coming back for more.  Here’s how I make mine:

Cooked bacon, in pieces

Corn (off of the cobb)

Onion, petalled*

Red Pepper, in small slices
Colby Jack cheese, shredded

Flour tortillas
[Add grilled chicken to make this a meal]

Cilantro and Green Onion Sour Cream (recipe follows)

More cilantro

Avocado or guacamole

*Petalled = sliced.  To me, they look more like petals than slices.

Preheat the oven to broil.  Spread your corn out on a cookie sheet (fresh is best, frozen is fine).  Season with salt and pepper and drizzle with a tablespoon of olive oil.  Toss until it is evenly coated.  Cook in the oven until the corn starts to brown and crisp up, about 5 minutes.  Do not let the corn burn or else it will be too hard to chew. 

 Heat a medium skillet with 2 T. olive oil over medium heat.  Add the onions and red pepper and sauté until they are caramel-colored and sweet.  Remove from the heat and set aside. 

Lower the heat of the oven to 375.  On a separate cookie sheet, lay out your tortillas.  To each, add some bacon, roasted corn, onions and peppers and cheese.  Place another tortilla on top and press down lightly to secure it.  Once the cheese melts, the quesadilla will stay together.  Place the cookie sheet in the oven for 15 minutes or so until the tortillas are crisp and golden brown.  Remove and slice into wedges.  Garnish with Cilantro Green Onion Sour Cream, fresh avocado or guacamole and cilantro.  

Cilantro and Green Onion Sour Cream

3 T. cilantro, finely chopped

3 green onions, finely diced

1 Pint sour cream

Salt & Pepper

In a bowl, combine the cilantro, green onions and sour cream.  Season with salt and pepper and stir until thoroughly combined.  Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for the flavors to marry.  

Bonus:  Roasted Corn Guacamole

1 Avocado, cubed

1 Tomato, diced

1/4 Red onion, diced

1/2 C. roasted corn

1 T. Cilantro, finely chopped

Squeeze of lemon juice
Salt & Pepper, to taste

In a large bowl, toss all ingredients.  Serve with tortilla chips or quesadillas.