Mexican Goods

Mexican Jalapeno Peppers

Jalapeno Peppers

Jalapeños may not be the fieriest of chiles but they lend a nice spark to salsas, marinades, jellies, and cheeses. Try them raw, roasted, lightly sautéed, or pickled and notice how the heat level and flavor subtly changes with different preparations.

Jalapeno Quesadilla: Cheddar-Jalapeño Quesadilla Salad with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette

This is one of those Favorite Mexican Recipes that you will probably use more than once. Pickled jalapeños add a tart and spicy twang to the black bean and cheddar quesadilla triangles in this easy supper salad. Dolloped with bits of sour cream and salsa, it’s a cross between loaded nachos and taco salad.

This fresh take on the traditional taco salad works well as a vegetarian main course.  Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

• VINAIGRETTE:
• 1/4  cup  Dijon-Lemon Vinaigrette
• 2  tablespoons  minced fresh cilantro
• 1  tablespoon  lime juice
• QUESADILLAS:
• 1  (15-ounce) can black beans
• 8  (6-inch) corn tortillas
• 1  cup  (4 ounces) shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
• 3  to 4 tablespoons chopped pickled jalapeño peppers
• Cooking spray

• REMAINING INGREDIENTS:
• 6  cups  chopped iceberg lettuce
• 2  cups  chopped tomato
• 1  cup  bottled salsa
• 1/2  cup  chopped onion
• 1/4  cup  low-fat sour cream

Preparation

To prepare vinaigrette, combine first 3 ingredients; stir with a whisk. Set aside.

To prepare the quesadillas, drain beans through a sieve over a bowl, reserving 1 tablespoon bean liquid; discard remaining liquid. Combine 1/2 cup beans and 1 tablespoon reserved bean liquid in a small bowl; mash with a fork. Reserve remaining beans. Spread bean mixture evenly over 4 tortillas. Sprinkle each with 1/4 cup cheese and about 1 tablespoon jalapeño; top with remaining tortillas.

Heat a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat. Cook quesadillas for 4 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove the quesadillas from the pan, and cut each into 4 wedges. Combine vinaigrette with lettuce, and toss well. Arrange 1 1/2 cups lettuce mixture on each of 4 plates. For each serving, spoon 3 tablespoons reserved beans over lettuce mixture, and place 1/2 cup tomato over the beans. Top each serving with 1/4 cup salsa, 2 tablespoons chopped onion, and 1 tablespoon sour cream. Serve each with 4 quesadilla wedges.

This is a super favorite Mexican Recipe for all of you spicy food lovers. Enjoy!

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