Roasted Corn Quesadillas w/Pineapple Mango Salsa

This Roasted Corn Quesadilla recipe is once again courtesy of Chef Gigi and my Southwestern Fiesta Cooking Class. I definitely got some good rotation recipes out of the class. Quesadillas tend to be a “go to” order item at restaurants for me – It’s not often that I buy packages of burrito size flour tortillas, so I rarely make them at home. That my friends is going to change. The co-op has some pretty amazing all-natural flour tortillas and a good tortilla is key. Even though roasting/grilling is involved, we learned that it can all be done on the stove. Perfect for fall and winter months when it’s not ideal BBQ conditions in most places. I’m slightly spoiled here in CA, but it’s nice to have indoor options.

The Ingredients:

3 Ears of Fresh Corn – You could substitute 2 Packages of Frozen Corn or 2-3 cans of Green Giant Niblet Corn
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
1/4 Cup Red Onion – small dice – A sweet white onion could also be used
1 Cup Canned Black Beans – drained and rinsed – could sub with pinto beans
1 Small Can Diced Ortega Chilies – could roast a poblano pepper for more char flavor
Salt and Pepper to Taste
Pinch of Ground Cumin
1 Pound Jack Cheese – shredded
1 Pound Yellow Cheddar Cheese – shredded
1/4 Cup Scallions – small diagonal slice
Chopped Cilantro to Taste
4 Burrito Size Flour Tortillas
3-4 Tablespoons Butter – for cooking tortillas

Directions:

Roast the corn on grill or under broiler until lightly charred. It can also be roasted right on the gas stove burner – just make sure you turn the cob frequently. Somebody asked if frozen corn could be charred… a student in class spoke up and said he had successfully roasted/charred frozen corn by placing it in a sauté pan at a very high heat – fresh out of the freezer – it’s important that it’s rock solid frozen, if it’s defrosted at all, it won’t work. Interesting… I supposed you could also just buy Trader Joe’s fire roasted frozen corn. 😉

In a sauté pan, add the oil. When heated to high/hot; add the onion and sauté until translucent. Add the black beans and chilies. Season with salt, pepper, cumin and Tabasco sauce – or any hot sauce you like.

In a bowl – mix the cheeses with the scallions and cilantro.

Heat up a large frying pan on medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon butter and swirl in pan. Add one tortilla, spread with 1/4 of the cheese/corn/bean filling. Heat on med-low heat until melted and then fold over in half and cut into 4 pieces.

Serves 4 or 8 appetizer portions

Grilled Pineapple and Mango Salsa

1 Fresh Pineapple – sliced into 1/2 inch rings to grill – no need to remove the core, it’s a personal preference – I didn’t mind the core, others did
1 Mango or 1 Cup Frozen Mango Chunks – small dice
1/4 Cup Red Onion – minced
1 Roma Tomato – seeded, small dice
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lime Juice
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1/4 Teaspoon Chili Powder
1/4 Teaspoon Fresh Ginger – grated
Salt to Taste
Cilantro to Taste – if you aren’t a cilantro fan, you could use parsley or green onion as well

Grill pineapple on BBQ or under the broiler and let cool; then small dice. Add all other ingredients together and season to taste. You could easily add chopped jalapeño if you wanted it to be a little spicier.

I loved the flavor of this salsa and look forward to making it for future quesadillas or to top fish or chicken dishes, it was amazing.