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Into the Fold (Berkshire Eagle Column)

I made this recipe again today! After making it umpteen times, I realized it would be worth writing up for a Berkshire Eagle column. I love how this template of sorts makes leftovers just a bit more special, and with minimal effort! We have more leftovers in the fridge from a dinner out last night, some red chile braised pork, and I’m already imagining how good it’ll be when I put that in another tortilla for lunch tomorrow!

TORTILLA TEMPLATE

by Elizabeth Baer

It is often said tongue-in-cheek that all school cafeteria lunches are some combination of dough, cheese, and tomato. This is emphatically false! The people who work in school cafeterias are amazing and don’t get the kudos they deserve! Not only do they prepare and serve a wide range of nutritious meals for both breakfast and lunch, they also know who is struggling and who is hungry; they see things that teachers never see in the classroom and they help kids in numerous ways.

All that being said, there are many meals comprised of dough, cheese, and some form of tomato because it is such a great combo! I’ve seen school lunch menus include pizza, mozzarella sticks, Italian dippers, and the classic grilled cheese and tomato soup, but here I want to talk about another favorite, quesadillas. With tortilla as the dough, surrounding a filling which includes cheese, and some salsa on top, we’ve got the dough-cheese-tomato triad covered!

With quesadillas, which here, admittedly, are not exactly true to their origins, we are using tomato in a cuisine coming from a place where tomatoes are indigenous. What’s striking to me is how ubiquitous tomatoes have become in cuisines throughout the world.

In our household, quesadillas are a favorite weekend lunch, using whatever protein we have left over in the fridge, which is why this is more of a template than a precise recipe. And of course, it’s easily vegetarian with beans or other vegetables as your filling. Sometimes I will not use leftovers and instead fill them with seasonal treats such as squash blossoms or soft-shell crab.

The tortilla is a such a great vessel that I like to keep a package on hand. I even once used them in place of mu shu pancakes when I got a beautiful head of Napa cabbage from our CSA farm share, and I wasn’t able to find the Asian product locally. Certainly not perfect, but a decent substitution. So feel free to make this recipe your own, or even to make it different every time!

QUESADILLAS

Makes 2; multiply as desired, cooking two at a time

INGREDIENTS:

  • 3 tablespoons neutral oil, divided

  • 1 medium onion cut into thin half-moons

  • Pinch of salt

  • 2 large flour tortillas, approximately 8 inches in diameter

  • ½-⅔ cup leftover cooked chicken cut into ½-inch cubes, or other filling of choice

  • ½ cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar or a Mexican blend

  • Salsa, sour cream, avocado slices, pickled jalapeños, or other condiments as desired

DIRECTIONS:

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the onions, sprinkle with salt and sauté until the onions are nicely browned and beginning to caramelize. Remove from heat and set aside.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large non-stick sauté pan. Arrange the two tortillas in the pan so that half of each tortilla is on the surface of the pan, and the other halves are leaning up against one another. Distribute ¼-⅓ cup chicken or other filling on each tortilla. Be careful not to overfill, which makes it more difficult to flip and more likely to tear. Add ¼ of shredded cheese into each quesadilla on top of the chicken. Add ¼ cup of the cooked onions on top of that.

Fold the tortillas over the filling. You can adjust the positioning of the filling if necessary. Using a spatula and another utensil to assist, flip each tortilla and press gently to help the filling compress a bit. It is most effective to turn the tortillas by rolling them over the straight folded edge so that minimal filling spills out. Continue to cook, turning once or twice more, until the cheese is melted and the tortillas are nicely browned.

Serve with desired condiments, such as salsa, sour cream, avocado slices, etc.

My ColumnsElizabeth Baer