I was once told that avocados are my strength.  And if you have enough meals with me, you’d know that to be true.  I LOVE avocados.  I keep a steady supply on the counter and, once they get ripe, in the fridge so I always have a perfectly soft yet firm, black on the outside, bright green on the inside avocado ready to eat. 

In the last few days, however, I couldn’t keep up with the speed the avocados were ripening.  And, all of a sudden my fridge had 6 large avocados ripe and ready to go.  Not having avocados on hand is one thing, but running the risk of letting beautiful, nourishing food go overripe and rancid is a tragedy! 

The solution?  Quesadillas.  Mostly because they are a vehicle for guacamole.

I made these queadillas for my family last night and they were fantastic.  They’re simple to make, high in protein, and full of fresh, nourishing ingredients.   Below are a few photos of the work in progress, and the printable recipe is at the end of the post.  From my kitchen to yours, enjoy!

I started by dicing the chicken breast into small cubes (it was partially frozen and easier to dice this way).  Season the chicken, cook and set aside. 

Prepare the guacamole (for me, it’s the main attraction 🙂

Prepare the rest of the toppings.  And set aside.  This can be done in advance (unless you have a sous chef 🙂   To cook, place the tortilla on a pan over medium heat.  Sprinkle lightly with cheese.  Add toppings over half the tortilla. 

 Once the cheese melts, fold in half.  Let it brown for a minute or two (maybe less, depending on your stove).  Flip over and brown on the other side.  I kept the final product in the oven to keep warm while I cooked the rest.   

Healthy & Delicious Quesadillas

2015-07-06 08:02:42

Serves 4

A delicious, healthy take on quesadillas.

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For the chicken

1. 2 chicken breasts, diced
2. 2 tbsp. olive oil
3. 1 tbsp. lemon juice
4. 1-2 tbsp. chilli powder
5. 2 cloves garlic, minced
6. 1/2 tsp. salt

For the guacamole

1. 2 avocados, mashed
2. 2 cloves garlic, minced
3. 1/2 tsp. salt
4. 1 tbsp. lime juice
5. 4 cocktail tomatoes, diced

For the assembly

1. 4 8" tortillas
2. 1 1/3 cup grated cheese
3. 1 cup peppers, diced
4. 1/2 cup green onions, diced
5. 1 cup tomatoes, diced
6. Black beans (if desired)

Toppings

1. Salsa
2. Sour cream
3. Guacamole

For the chicken

1. Mix chicken with seasoning and let it marinate for 1-2 hours. Cook chicken in a pan until cooked through and set aside.

For the guacamole

1. Mash the avocado. Add garlic, salt, lime juice and mix well. Add diced tomatoes and set aside.

Assembly

1. Heat a frying pan over medium heat. Place tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with about 1/3 cup grated cheese. Add a handful of each: chicken, tomatoes, peppers, green onions and black beans. Once the cheese melts, fold the tortilla in half using a spatula. Let it brown, then flip over and let it brown on the other side. Serve immediately or keep warm in the oven whlie you make the rest of the quesadillas.
2. Top with desired toppings and enjoy!

Notes

1. To keep guacamole from going grown, put the avocado pit with the guacamole.

By Tanja Shaw

Tanja Shaw https://www.tanjashaw.com/