Chicken Quesadillas with Mango Salsa

It is a beautiful, hot day in the Queen City and I am returning from a health and wellness fair where I learned that my chakra is off, my head and shoulders are misaligned and I might need some acupuncture for my allergies. Wow! It is amazing what the body tells us and so important for us to take better care of ourselves so we can live healthy, positive lives. Since I can’t fix all of that today, I am going to focus on something I can fix…lunch!

I dashed out this morning without eating any breakfast. So I am starving and having a craving for some quesadillas with mango salsa. Cooking with mangoes reminds me of my best bud, Kevin Pringle, who transitioned last year in July. Kevin made my first mango salsa on a salmon dish he prepared for a girlfriend and I for a Mother’s Day dinner the year before last. And then he was always front and center whenever I made my mango sorbet. I miss my friend. Funny how the smallest things can take you back.

My plan is to stop off at the house, grab some lunch, and head back out to run some errands. But I have a sneaky suspicion I might end up on the couch, under my blanket. Love those lazy Saturdays. Only time will tell…

I use 100% whole wheat flour tortillas from Trader Joe’s. Today, I did not have any avocado or tomatoes so I made a much simpler salsa. You may substitute cucumber instead of avocado as well. Mango salsa is a sweet, tangy, refreshing addition to quesadillas but is also great on fish and tortilla chips. You can make quesadillas with chicken, shrimp or crab.

Mango Salsa

1 large mango
1 large tomato
1 avocado
1 small red onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 c chopped, fresh cilantro
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil

Peel, seed and dice the mango. Dice the tomato, avocado, onion and the garlic. Combine all ingredients. Serve.

Quesadillas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cooked and diced)
1 small red or yellow onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, sliced
1 c mushrooms
8 Tortillas
Butter
Shredded 4-Cheese Fiesta Blend
Sour cream, optional

Saute vegetables in medium saucepan; but not overly so (they still should have some crunch). In a separate saucepan, toss in ½ tbsp butter and add tortilla. Cook until lightly brown. Remove tortilla and do the same for the others.

Begin to assemble tortillas starting with cheese, vegetables and then chicken. Add more cheese. Top with a second tortilla and cook until golden. Flip and cook for another minute. Slice quesadillas and top with salsa and/or sour cream. Enjoy.

All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Sweet Treats 'n Good Eats, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.

For Pringles From Patty Cakes

Over the summer, I lost a very dear friend who I have known since elementary school. Kevin Pringle (aka Pringles) was a huge fan of my cooking, but was particularly fond of the desserts.

At some point last year we decided to cut back on sweets and began incorporating some healthier items in our diets. During that period I tried to convince myself that if I cut out the heavy stuff and ate desserts like sorbet and sweet breads once every blue moon that I'd be good. That lasted for about 9 months, maybe? I really did try! I’m still working towards eating better but I do nibble on dessert occasionally now and try not to feel too guilty. Nevertheless, this became one of our favorites and is a great palate cleanser after dinner.

So in honor of Pringles, who would be celebrating a birthday this week, I feel compelled to make his sorbet. I know Pringles is smiling down on me as this ice-cream is churning away…I love you man!

This recipe is better with fresh mangoes. But if you don’t have any on hand or prefer not to puree them, I recommend using Jumex’s Mango nectar from concentrate, usually found in the International food section of most grocery stores.

Mango Sorbet

3 c mango juice
½ c lime juice
½ c orange juice
Simple Syrup (see below)

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate until cooled. Pour the chilled mixture into your ice-cream machine and churn for 25-30 minutes. Transfer to a plastic container and freeze for 4-6 hours before serving. Optional: Add three tablespoons of tequila during the last 5 minutes of churning to take it up a notch.

Simple Syrup

1 c water
1 c sugar

Heat the sugar and water in a saucepan until sugar is dissolved. Cool.

I use Cuisinart’s Ice-cream Maker, which was one of the best (and most used) gifts I ever received! Make yogurt, gelato, ice-cream and sorbet in your very own kitchen.


All photographs are actual pictures of the recipe listed, prepared by Virtually Everything Sweet, and cannot be used without the owner’s consent.