Sriracha Quesadillas

My friend Lynn is a genius when it comes to whipping up simple and unique food combinations. In her latest quesadilla recipe she added Sriracha Hot Chili Garlic Sauce, and it took the dish over the top, into the realm of perfection. These little darlings are simple to make, and absolutely heavenly. Lynn made hers with tomatoes, portobello mushrooms, a mexican cheese I can't find around here and the lovely, spicy Sriracha sauce (found in the International aisle of your grocery store). I didn't have mushrooms so did what I could with the ingredients I had on hand.

Sriracha Quesadillas with Chicken and Vegetables
Inspired by Lynn Socko
makes two 6 inch quesadillas

4 corn tortillas
1 tsp canola oil
1 green pepper chopped or sliced
1 tomato chopped or sliced
1 onion chopped or sliced
salt
pepper
2% Monterey Jack cheese shredded
1/2 cup shredded cooked chicken
Sriracha sauce
Cooking spray
Sour cream and/or cilantro for garnish

In large pan on stove top add oil and heat on medium. Add vegetables, salt and pepper and cook until veggies soften.

Remove vegetables to cutting board to cool a bit. I ended up chopping the vegetables and not leaving them in strips, only because I thought it would be easier to eat, but I do think they look much nicer when they're long and lanky. Clean/wipe your saute pan and get ready for a quick assembly and pan fry. The process goes fast. I only made 2 quesadillas tonight, but I see myself developing a rhythm, making oh-so-many stacks, hijacking a food truck and selling these beauties outside Fenway Park during a Sox game. Yes, my dreams are a little bizarro- I think it's the Sriracha that sends me to this world.

Coat 4 tortillas on one side with Sriracha sauce. Don't soak the tortillas too much because this sauce packs quite a punch. Coat pan with cooking spray. Place tortillas in saute pan, Sriracha side up, and add a bit of cheese. Now add the veggies and shredded chicken.

Top with a little more cheese, and cover each with another Sriracha coated tortilla. Make sure the Sriracha coating faces the inside.

Pan fry about 2 mintes and flip. Cook another 1 or 2 minutes on second side. When the cheese is oozing, your Sriracha quesadillas are done.

Serve with sour cream and sprinkle with cilantro. A slice or two of avocado would have been nice but I'm saving mine for a pazanella salad I plan on making tomorrow.

Frugal

Last night I indulged in baked chimichangas, and tonight I used whatever was left over and put together a pretty fabulous soup. It's not too spicy, but it is super flavorful. I used the remaining brown rice, black bean and sirloin mixture. And then I decided that diced carrots and celery, chopped onion and a little more garlic would be nice. Some chicken stock and spices made an appearance in the pot, not to mention chopped tomatoes and leftover enchilada sauce. It's looks like a lot of ingredients, but it's a pretty quick fix considering you're using leftovers and opening cans and spice jars.

Chopped Sirloin, Black Bean and Rice Soup

Left over sirloin, bean and rice mixture (recipe posted last night)
1 T olive or canola oil- I used olive
1 small onion chopped
1 carrot diced
1 small celery stalk diced
1 large garlic clove minced
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper (optional)
1 T cilantro
1/4 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp dried oregano
Left over black beans mashed (last night I only used a cup)
1 15 oz can diced tomatoes (I use no salt added)
1 14.5 can fat free chicken broth
1/2 cup enchilada sauce (I use medium-heat Carlita)
Lime juice
Grated cheese (I used Sargento's 2% cheddar)
Sour cream  or yogurt for garnish
Diced avocado for garnish
Additional cilantro (I had no more so I omitted)
Sliced scallions for garnish (I had one left and am saving it for tomorrow)

Prep your vegetables.

In large soup pot on medium to low heat, add the oil. Then the onions, carrots and celery. Let these vegetables soften a bit and add the garlic. And then the spices- cumin, cayenne, cilantro, salt, pepper, ground chili and oregano. Turn heat to low, cover and let the flavors get to know one another.

Add the left over rice, bean and sirloin combo and mix with the vegetables. Then add the mashed black beans and combine. Now it's time to give this aromatic mixture a bath. Add the broth, diced tomatoes, and enchilada sauce. Let simmer, covered on low about 15 minutes.

While soup is simmering, make Lynn Socko's crispy tortilla chips. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees, line a baking sheet with foil and dust with cooking spray. Slice 3 or 4 six inch tortillas into quarters. Place chips on prepared foil, give them a spritz of cooking spray and sprinkle with Mrs Dash Southwest Chipotle Seasoning Blend. Bake 6-7 minutes.

Soup's done. Chips are done. To each bowl of soup, add some grated cheese, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and any of the garnishes suggested, but certainly don't leave out the homemade chips. They're super yummy and fabulous for scooping out the melted cheese and all the other goodies in the soup.