I can't figure out why restaurants offer quesadillas on their menus so different from those found closer to the border and in Mexico proper. I am not opposed to new twists on traditional foods or even so-called fusion foods (unlike La Madrina, who is much more of a traditionalist than I am), but why mess with a good thing?
Dear American Restauranteurs, a quesadilla is not baked in an oven like a pizza. It is not cheddar and monterrey jack and mozzarella cheeses layered between two flour tortillas and grilled like a panini. It is not even a prodigious serving of cheese, chicken and onions stuffed in a flour tortilla. And it is most definitely not goopy, make-believe cheese (read: nacho cheese sauce) in a cripsy flour tortilla and deep-fried.
Quesadillas are quintessentially uncomplicated, which is why it seems almost absurd to include a recipe here. Of course, in Mexico some variations are found, perhaps the addition of huitlacoche, a corn fungus and delicacy, for example. The essence of the quesadilla remains the same, however: simple and savory.
As a parent, quesadillas, are my go-to food. They are easy to prepare and children really do love them. But I usually make them with corn, not flour, tortillas and just a sliver—not mounds—of cheese, either Mexican asadero or queso fresco when I can find it. This is the way my mother and grandmother made them, always with a spill of salsa or a heap of aguacate (avocado) on the side. For my kids, I skip lo picante (the spice) but serve with avocado or fruit instead.
| Mexican Quesadillas |
Recipe Type: Appetizer, Snack
Author:
Prep time: 5 mins
Cook time: 5 mins
Total time: 10 mins
Serves: 1 - 2
Ingredients
- Corn tortillas
- 3 slices of cheese, preferably Mexican asadero or queso fresco.
Instructions
- Heat the tortillas on a comal or in heavy skillet over a medium flame.
- Place a slice of cheese on one half of the tortilla.
- When the cheese begins to melt, fold the tortilla over.
- Flip the tortilla to the other side.
- The quesadilla is done when the cheese is melted.
Notes
There is no need to use oil in this recipe.
