This month, we’re bringing you two wonderful Mexican-inspired recipes: one for fresh salsa and one for quick and easy ground beef quesadillas. Both of these dishes come together in a snap and use ingredients that you probably already have on-hand.
Don’t be afraid to customize these to your taste: Do you enjoy spicier salsa? Throw in more peppers! Is green salsa more your style? Roast some tomatillos and toss them in! Are chicken or tofu more your speed? They’ll be a great ground beef replacement filling in your quesadilla.
Cook and eat the flavors that make you happy and you won’t go wrong.
Simple Salsa
2-10 ounce cans Rotel tomatoes
1-28 ounce can whole tomatoes
1 bunch of fresh cilantro, about ½ cup
½ cup chopped onions
4 garlic cloves
1 whole jalapeno cut into chunks (use less if you don’t like the heat)
¼ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon salt
1 whole lime juiced
Put everything in the blender and process to your desired chunkiness.
Refrigerate and enjoy with quesadillas, tacos, and tortilla chips. (Note: Sarah made a (very) modified shakshuka with the leftover salsa and it was SO GOOD- 10 out of 10!)
Ground Beef Quesadillas
1 lb ground beef
1 jar green chilies (you can find these on the Mexican food aisle in a small tin)
Half medium white onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
Seasoning- Sarah likes to use a mix of cumin, red chili flakes, salt and pepper, and taco seasoning (as a shortcut, you can use pre-packaged taco seasoning if you like)
Tortillas (we used flour here because they tend to toast and hold their fillings well, but use whatever you like)
Olive oil
Shredded cheese
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a large skillet. Add onion, garlic, and spices; cook for 2-3 minutes. Add ground beef and green chilies and cook until beef is cooked through. Drain the mixture to remove excess oil.
Coat outside of tortillas with olive oil (spray olive oil works GREAT here!). Cover one side with cheese and ground beef filling. Top with another tortilla (or, if you’re looking for a smaller serving, you can simply fold the tortilla in half over the filling) and press in the panini maker. Toast until desired doneness. If you do not have a panini maker, don’t fret! You can easily do this in a large pan instead. Sarah likes her quesadilla super crispy, so it stays in the press for a couple of minutes- the longer you toast, the crispier the shell will become. Serve with salsa (or guacamole! Or queso!).
Tip: These are best eaten hot and right away.
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