Homemade Mexican Quesadillas - Mexikanische Quesadillas

Quesadillas

The origins of traditional foods such as quesadillas cannot usually be traced to a particular year or person. They are foods that evolved because the ingredients and technology needed to cook them were readily available. The history of quesadillas begins with the story of corn and the cooking of tortillas:

"Tortilla...a round, thin unleavened bread made from ground maize, a basic food of Mesoamerica. It is not known how many millennia this has been a staple; but when the conquistadores arrived in the New World in the late 15th century, they discovered that the inhabitants made flat cornbreads. The native Nahuatl name for these was tlaxcalli and the Spanish gave them the name tortilla...The art of tortilla-making was highly developed by the native Mesoamericans; 17th century Spanish observed, Francisco Hernandez, remarked on the fine, almost transparent tortillas prepared for important people... Fresh tortillas are eaten as bread, used as plate and spoon, or filled to make composite dishes such as tacos and enchiladas...A quesadilla is a 'turnover' made by folding a fresh tortilla in half around a simple filling such as cheese, epazote (a pungent herb), and pepper, or potatoes and chorizo, and deep frying it..."

---The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson (p. 803)

"Queso...the Spanish word for 'cheese', forms part of some names of cheese of Spain and Latin America."
---The Oxford Companion to Food, Alan Davidson (p. 644)

"Quesadillas are one of the Mexicans' favorite simple snacks. They are, in fact, uncooked tortillas stuffed with one of the various fillings and folded over to make a "turnover." They are then toasted on a hot griddle or fried until golden. In many parts of Mexico they are filled with strips of Chihuahua cheese, which melts and "strings" nicely--a Mexican requirement...the farther south one goes the more complicated they become. For instance, in central Mexico the simplest ones are filled with some of the braided Oaxaca cheese, a few fresh leaves of epazote and strips of peeled chile poblano. Potato and chorizo filling--that used for tacos...--is also a favorite version, while the most highly esteemed of all are those of sauteed squash blossoms (flor de calabaza) or the ambrosial fungus that grows on the corn blossoms (huitlachoche), both of which are at their best during the rainy months of summer and early fall."
--The Tortilla Book, Diana Kennedy [Harper & Row:New York] 1975 -(p. 106)

As such, quesadillas are a blend of Old World tradition and New World foods. Recipes for turnover-type foods (aka portable filled pastries, both sweet and savory) were popular fare in Medieval Spain. About portable pies. Chicken (chicken quesadillas) is also an Old World food, introduced to Mexico by the Spanish settlers in the 16th century. New World fowl included turkey, strikingly similar in flavor and composition. The turkey, however, was not used for simple snacks. It was saved for special holidays. Cheese (queso/quesa) is also an Old World food.

Quesadillas

is one of my sons favorite quick dinners - he loves it with soup or on its own. I usually mix anything I like in there but this version is our favorite...

Enjoy Alissa

1 medium fresh chili pepper (or dried and soaked in water, drained and chopped) or if you don't like the heat use bell pepper, diced
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheese (best is Mexican cheese like Asadero, Chihuahua or in the USA zesty Monterey Jack)
6 8-inch tortillas
1 cup of shredded cooked chicken
1/2 cup chopped tomato
3 tbsp finely chopped spring onions
1 tbsp snipped basil (or cilantro)
Guacamole
Salsa Fresca

Halve pepper lengthwise, remove seeds and membrane. Cut pepper into thin slivers.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese over half of each tortilla. Sprinkle peppers, chicken, tomato, green onions and basil or cilantro over cheese. Fold tortilla in half pressing gently.

In a large skillet or on a griddle cook quesadillas, two at a browned, turning once. Remove quesadillas from skillet and place on a baking sheet. Keep warm in a 300°F oven. Repeat with remaining quesadillas.

Serve cut in half with salsa fresca and guacamole.

Makes 12 servings
Schärfetabelle von Chilis

Habanero = 10+ (super scharf)
Pequin ( Chile Pequeno, Tepin und Chiltepin) = 8-9
Serrano = 7
Árbol = 6-7
Fresno = 6-7
Chipotle = 5-6
Jalapeno = 5-6
Ancho (Mulato)=3-5
Pasilla (Chile Negro) = 3-5
Cascabel = 4
Poblano = 3
Guajillo = 2-4
Anaheim = 2-3

Getrocknete Chilis haben einen intensiven rauchigen Geschmack. Man sollte darauf achten wenn man sie kauft das sie immer noch leicht biegsam sind und ein schönes Aroma haben! Man kann sie in einem Mörser zermalen oder in einer Gewürzmühle zerkleinern oder in kochendem sprudelndem Wasser 30 Min einweichen und dann ein hacken. Getrocknete Chilis trocken in einem luftdichten Gefäß aufbewahren - halten sich bis zu einem Jahre noch beser ist es sie einzufrieren!

Quesadillas

ist eines der Lieblingsessen meines Sohnes - es ist ein leckeres schnelles Essen. Sehr vielseitig, gesund und sättigend zu einer Suppe oder Salat.
Dieser Version mögen wir am liebsten.... es ist wie ein Hauch Mexico auf dem Teller ! Den Usrsprung dieses Gerichts festzustellen ist sehr schwer - wahrschienlich hat es sich irgendwann entwickelt als die Europäer nach Zentralamerika kamen und die Maisfladen der Eingeborenen übernommen haben und es dann füllten und anbrieten.. wie viele andere Tortillagerichte auch... Es ist und war sehr preiswert, nahrhaft und rasch zu bereitet.

Viel Vergnügen... Alissa


1 mittlere Anaheim oder andere Chilischote - wem das zu scharf ist tut es auch eine Paprika, gewürfelt
1 1/2 Tassen geriebenen Käse
6 Tortillas (am besten Maistortillas)
1 Tasse gekochtes, geschreddertes Huhn (schmeckt klasse sous-vide mit mexikanischen Gewürzen)
1/2 Tasse feingehackte, entkernte Tomate
3 EL Frühlingszwiebel fein gehackt
1 EL frischen Basilikum oder Koriander

Dazu selbstgemachte Guacamole + Salsa Fresca

Die Chilischote längs aufschneiden entkernen und die Membrane entfernen und feinschneiden

Die Tortilla halb mit Käse bestreuen, darüber Chili, Frühlingszweibeln, Hühnchen, Tomaten und Basilikum. Zusammenklappen und in einer mittelheißen Pfanne 3-4 Min erhitzen - einmal Wenden. Aus der Pfannen nehmen und im Backofen warmhalten. Einmal aufschneiden und mit Guacamole und Salsa Fresca servieren.

12 Portionen