When the weather is fine, it is hard to eat a big dinner
Panini, wraps, and sandwiches feature on every menu in the county at the moment. How about something different?
Quesadillas
Here is my twist on a warm chicken, bacon and cheese sandwich. It is called a quesadilla which translates as a cheese sandwich from Spanish, although this is traditionally a Mexican dish, I have adapted it for the Irish market.
Ingredients
2 slices lean bacon (sliced into 1/2" pieces )
2 flour tortillas or wraps (8" diameter )
Softened butter (softened for lightly spreading on the wraps )
2 scallions chopped
1 tablespoon Cajun spice
¼ cup grated red cheddar cheese
2 cooked chicken breasts cut into strips
Method
Slice bacon and fry until bacon starts to turn crisp but not hard and brittle. Remove from pan, drain bacon and set aside. Spread butter lightly on one side of the flour tortilla or wrap. Top with the cooked bacon, grated cheese, scallions and cooked chicken strips.
Sprinkle with the Cajun spice. If you like a spice, you could add chilli at this point. Butter the other wrap and place on top and squash it down hard so that the grated cheese holds it together.
Put the quesadilla on a plate and heat in the microwave for about one minute, so the filling gets warm and the cheese melts. Stick it on a tray and bake in a hot oven for about one minute until it lightly browns and gets crispy.
Remove quesadilla and place on a serving dish and cut into individual triangle serving pieces. Serve quesadillas with your favourite dipping sauce. There are so many varieties of quesadillas to make, so use your imagination and get creating.
Homemade guacamole
Traditionally guacamole is served with quesadillas. This is a very tasty dip made from avocado pears and it is delicious.
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Ingredients
3 avocados - peeled, pitted, and mashed
1 lime, juiced
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup diced onion
3 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander leaf
2 tomatoes, diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 pinch ground cayenne pepper (optional )
Method
Pitted, means to take out the big nut or seed inside the avocado. Avocados are available to buy everywhere these days and are a great source of vitamin K. When you peel the avocado you really have to add the lime juice straight away or it will go black, and not the lovely green colour that we want.
In a medium bowl, mash together the avocados, lime juice, and salt. Mix in onion, coriander, tomatoes, and garlic. Stir in cayenne pepper. Refrigerate for at least one hour for the best flavour.
Homemade lemonade
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Now, let’s make the easiest and most refreshing drink ever. Have you ever tried making your own homemade lemonade? It is easier than you think.
Ingredients
2 cups cold water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice
1 cup fruit sugar
1 (750 ml ) bottle soda water
Thin lemon slice
Mint sprig
Method
In a large jug, mix the cold water, lemon juice and sugar, stir until sugar dissolves. Cover and refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, gradually add the soda water into the jug, and stir to mix.
Pour lemonade over ice cubes in glasses. Garnish each serving with lemon slices and mint sprig. This is so simple to make and delicious.
So, I hope that we continue to get some much needed good weather here in Mayo, and I hope that you will try out some of my recipes. Talk to you next week.
