Gazpacho with Quesadillas

There are innumerable variations of both gazpacho and quesadillas. The following are my favorites, but use your imagination and suit your own tastes!

This gazpacho recipe has a lot of flavor without being overly spicy, and I like the combination of blended and chopped ingredients -- so often gazpacho is either completely pureed or overly chunky. I served this once to a gourmet friend of my parents, and he looked quite surprised after his first sip. "Where did you get this gazpacho?" he asked. I don't think he really believed I had made it myself! The recipe comes from the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts Gallery Buffet Soup Cookbook.

Gazpacho

Mix in blender until smooth:

1 10-ounce can Snap-E-Tom
1 medium cucumber, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 medium tomato, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup salad oil

Add by hand (do not use blender):

2 10-ounce cans Snap-E-Tom
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/2 medium tomato, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 medium cucumber, peeled and finely chopped

Chill for at least one hour.

You can add toasted croutons, diced avocado, chopped parsley or cilantro, or sliced lemon to each serving if you like. I like it "straight."

Chicken, Mushroom, and Onion Quesadillas

Quesadillas are really a Mexican version of the grilled cheese sandwich. So any quesadilla includes a tortilla and cheese. Beyond that, the sky's the limit! In the U.S., they are usually made with flour tortillas, but I'm told that in Mexico corn tortillas are often used. They can be made with a single tortilla, adding the filling to one half and then folding the other half over like a turnover. This is then served whole. Or you can use two tortillas, placing the filling on one and then topping with the other. This is then sliced into wedges. This recipe is for the second version, which is the style I am more accustomed to. You can easily transform it into the turnover style if you like.

Any type of melting cheese is good for quesadillas. I like either Monterrey Jack or queso fresco. Other fillings could include pico de gallo, shredded or fajita beef, fajita chicken, green pepper, chile pepper...let your imagination run wild -- or use whatever you have left over in the refrigerator! This is one of my favorite combinations.

If you would like to season the chicken, see instructions in the chicken enchilada recipe.

butter or cooking oil
4 flour tortillas
1 cup grated or crumbled cheese
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1/2 onion sliced thinly
1 cup shredded chicken
(guacamole)

Sautee the mushrooms and onion until soft and golden. Set aside.

Place one tortilla on a lightly greased skillet. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese, 1/2 cup chicken, and 1/2 of the onions and mushrooms. Spread evenly and top with a second tortilla. Brush the top of the second tortilla with a little oil or butter. Continue cooking until the cheese begins to melt and the bottom tortilla begins to turn golden. Flip the quesadilla over with a large spatula and cook on the other side until the cheese is completely melted and the tortilla golden brown. Repeat with the remaining two tortillas and ingredients. Slice quesadillas into wedges. Top with guacamole if desired.

Guacamole

I like a very simple guacamole: just avocado lightly mashed with a fork or potato masher, a little lime juice, a tiny bit of grated onion or onion juice, and sea salt or kosher salt. But, of course, you can add chopped tomato, garlic, cumin, chopped chiles, etc. To your own taste!