Squiddy's Kitchen Creations: Fiesta!

this is one of our favorite meals. its relatively easy and so so yummy!!! our fiesta dinner consists of chicken quesadillas, tortilla chips and queso, guacamole, and mango salsa and sometimes squiddys special black beans and rice. this is a great meal if you've got hungry guests to feed. the ingredients are pretty flexible so you can add or delete things as you wish and tune the spices and chilies to suit your own tastes. it doesn't take long to prepare, the chopping is the biggest part of the ordeal. if you can recruit one of your hungry guests to chop vegetables while you prepare the food, you're good to go! now send someone on a corona run and lets get cookin!

for the quesadillas:

dice the following:

• 2 medium/large chicken breasts
• 1 large green bell pepper (or a bit of a yellow/red/green combo)
• 1/2 clove garlic
• 1 large tomato
• 1 medium onion
• 2 ears corn, shaved
• 1 large jalapeno chili
• 1/2 to 1 large habanero chili, depending on taste
• 3 large basil leaves, shredded and minced
• juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 lime
• 3 bushy stems of cilantro
• 3 or 4 generous handfuls of shredded cheddar and mozzarella and monterey jack/pepper jack cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

mix in a large bowl. heat a large pan and coat generously with butter. on medium high bring to a sizzle, then place a large tortilla on and cover pan. after 30 seconds, cover tortilla generously with a thin layer of cheese and an even layer of the quesadilla mixture and cover with a second tortilla. you can also only fill half and fold the tortilla. cover and heat on medium for a few minutes until cheese is nice and melty. cut into wedges and serve.

for the tortilla chips:
fry in a thin layer of butter a few tortillas ripped into pieces until nice and crispy.

for the queso:
dice and combine the following:

• 1/4 onion
• 1/2 large tomato
• 1/4 clove garlic
• 1 jalapeno chili
• 1/2 habanero chili
• 4 or 5 handfuls cheddar/monterey jack/pepper jack/mozzarella
• salt and pepper
• *bacon salt

heat and add a few dollops of whole milk/half and half/heavy cream slowly. simmer until creamy. YUM!!!


for the guacamole: this part is my favorite. i like the avocado chunks to be mashed nicely, but still about 50% chunky after stirring. 1" cubes seem to do the trick for this. the chilies give it a nice rosy bite, the bell pepper adds a good hint of crunch and the tomatoes cool it down. don't forget the lemon and lime juice, or it'll turn brown on top real quick. when you fridge this, cover the surface of the guacamole with plastic wrap, which will help it stay nice and green.

dice and combine:

• 3 large ripe avocados
• 2 ears corn, shaved
• 1 large onion
• 1 large bell pepper
• 2 large tomatoes
• 1 clove garlic
• 3 sprigs cilantro
• 3 basil leaves
• 1 or 2 jalapenos
• 1/2 to 1 habanero
• juice from a lemon and a lime
• salt and pepper

stir until about half the avocado is mashed but mixture is still chunky. chill in fridge.



for squiddys special salsa:::

• 1 large bell pepper
• 2 ears corn, shaved
• 3 large tomato
• 1 medium onion
• 1 clove garlic
• 2 jalapenos
• 1 or 2 habeneros
• cilantro, salt and pepper
• lemon and lime juice
• 1 mango
• 1 peach
• a few berries (i use strawberries, raspberries and blueberries)
• some lemon and lime zest
• 1 Tbsp sugar or honey
• 1 tsp salt, more to taste
• a dash Marsala wine
• a dash vinegar

dice and combine all but a handful of mango, peach, and tomato. set aside.
take the reserved fruits and add a sprinkle onion, citrus juice, and a few pieces of chilies and saute on high heat for a minute or two with a dash of vinegar and a sprinkle of sugar and salt.
you want to soften up the mango pieces but let them get a bit singed and caramelized on the outsides. once the mango chunks start to get soft and mashy when you stir, add the berries, the sugar, salt and pepper, zest, and a healthy dash Marsala. and stir, then cover and simmer for a few minutes, stirring frequently to avoid burning or sticking to pan.
when nice and caramelized but still a bit runny, combine with the chopped salsa mixture and stir for a few minutes, then chill.

the thing i love about this salsa is that it has a nice robust flavor, the sweetness contrasts to the spiciness of the chili's so nicely. its great to eat right out of the serving bowl, but the flavor develops even more yumminess when its been chilled a while.



pair these items with some rice and beans, and you've got yourself a fiesta!!!