Fourth of July
Smoked Chicken or Roasted Salmon Quesadilla Wedges with Chipotle Sour Cream
- Serves 24 wedges
Author Notes
I am a big fan of smoked foods and Southwestern flavors. Lately I have been delving deep into books on Food History. I get the biggest kick out of the fact that beans and corn , tomatoes and chiles , all of which have changed the course of world food history, are native to the Americas! I wanted to create a dish to celebrate that, and this contest inspired me to do so. With salmon also common off both the east and west coast of North America,this dish could really be a centerpiece for a Fourth of July celebration! For a non-seafood version, use smoked chicken or smoked turkey, shredded with your fingers.For a vegetarian version, replace the animal/fish protein with drained cooked black beans, or refried beans, sliced hearts of palm , and corn, or tempeh, cooked and mashed dried soybeans, or cooked and mashed edamame. —LeBec Fin
Ingredients
- Salmon or Smoked Chicken Quesadilla Wedges
-
10-12 ounces
fresh roasted salmon, flaked, or smoked chicken, skinned and shredded
-
12 ounces
pepper jack cheese, grated OR mix of pepper jack and smoked jack cheese(or x sharp cheddar), grated
-
1/2 ounce
scallions, finely chopped
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2 ounces
grape or cherry tomatoes,quartered and chopped
-
10 ounces
Red salsa with black beans and corn(if this is thick, draining is not really needed, but if it looks thin, drain in a sieve for 1 hour or overnight)
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6 tablespoons
fresh chopped cilantro(stems and leaves soaked, drained, dried)
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4
8" chile flavor flour tortillas( I use Trader Joe's)
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1/2-1 teaspoons
bacon fat or canola oil
- Chipotle Sour Cream
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3/4
Sour cream (no liquid)
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1/4
Plain Yoghurt (not 'No Fat')
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2+ teaspoons
pureed Chipotles in Adobo (without seeds;San Marcos brand recommended, not La Morena which needs seeding -ugh)
-
2 teaspoons
Orange Juice concentrate
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1/4- 1/2 teaspoons
minced garlic
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1 teaspoon
lemon juice
-
pinch of kosher salt
Directions
- Salmon or Smoked Chicken Quesadilla Wedges
- Lay out the tortillas. Spread the smoked jack on the top half of each. Press down with your flattened hand, to bond the cheese with the tortilla. Spread salmon or chicken on the top half and press down to secure the protein. On the salmon, sprinkle the scallions, then the grape tomatoes. Top with an even spread of salsa , then cilantro, then pepper jack cheese.Fold bottom half up and over top half, pressing firmly.
- Heat ½- 1 tsp.fat in a non stick skillet. Heat to hot, but not smoking. Lay down 2 quesadillas , curved side out, and press down firmly to sear. When browned and crisp, turn over and cook til brown and crisp. If service is delayed, keep cooking on low heat and turning over every few minutes- or the quesadillas will get soft (and they are SO much better crispy!)
- Remove from pan.With a sharp knife, cut each into 6 pie wedges. Serve with Chipotle Sour Cream. In their uncooked state, these can be well wrapped and frozen, to later be defrosted and cooked.
- Chipotle Sour Cream
- Mix all together except chipotles. Add them a bit at a time to make sure the mixture is not too hot for you. Adjust ingredients to taste. Flavors meld best if the sauce is made ahead. Note: I puree a can of chipotles with its adobo and keep in a small container, frozen. With a fork, I easily scrape off what I need each time.
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