Recipe courtesy of Steve McDonagh and Dan Smith

Topless Crispy Quesadilla with Cilantro Pesto and Mango Mojo on a Bed of Greens

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  • Level: Intermediate
  • Total: 35 min
  • Prep: 30 min
  • Cook: 5 min
  • Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

Cilantro Pesto:

Lime Vinaigrette:

Mango Mojo:

Quesadillas:

Directions

  1. Pesto:
  2. Roughly chop the cilantro, making sure not to get too much of the stem. Place it in the bowl of a food processor along with the garlic, crushed red pepper, and coriander. With the processor running, add the oil in a slow stream. Let the processor run for about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine. Set aside.
  3. Vinaigrette:
  4. Pour the lime juice into the cleaned bowl of the processor. Add the Cilantro Pesto and, with the processor running, add the oil in a slow stream. Process until the vinaigrette emulsifies. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse. Set aside.
  5. Mojo:
  6. Place all the ingredients into the cleaned bowl of the processor and run until smooth. Set aside.
  7. Assembly:
  8. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
  9. Spread a generous amount of pesto on each of the 4 tortillas, making sure that you spread the pesto almost to the edge of each tortilla. Shred a generous amount of the queso onto each tortilla. Spray a small saute pan with cooking spray and set it over moderately high heat for 2 minutes (you want to make sure the pan is very hot). Place 1 tortilla, cheese side up, into the pan and cook, shaking occasionally, for 1 minute. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other 3 tortillas. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
  10. As the quesadillas are cooking, toss the lettuces together in a large bowl with 1/2 of the vinaigrette (reserve the rest for pork loin dish). Mound the salad onto 4 plates. Remove the quesadillas from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and slice each into 4 pieces. Surround the salad with the 4 slices and drizzle with the Mango Mojo. Serve immediately.