Mushroom Quesadillas. Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post. Mushroom Quesadillas. Photo by Stacy Zarin Goldberg for The Washington Post.
Comfort and ease: That's what quesadillas have always represented to me, since the very first time I folded a tortilla over some cheese.
You can complicate almost any dish, but it's pretty hard to do that with quesadillas.
There's not much room on a 15cm corn tortilla, so you've got to keep the fillings pretty minimal.
My favorites are beans (of course) and mushrooms. For the former, use whatever you have cooked - or in the can. Just warm the beans and mash them lightly with some spices (cumin and smoked paprika are my favorites) and a squeeze of lime if you've got it.
Quesadillas are the quintessential Mexican snack. They are so simple to prepare: Sandwich cheese and vegetables in a corn tortilla and heat it until the cheese melts and the tortillas are golden. These are hearty, garlicky and perfect for a quick lunch. Serve with a salad or soup for a filling meal.
(Serves 4)
- 450g mixed mushrooms (such as shiitake, oyster, enoki, cremini and button; may substitute dried mushrooms)
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup tightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves (optional)
- Eight (15cm) corn tortillas
- 230g fresh mozzarella cheese, torn into small pieces (may substitute part-skim or vegan mozzarella)
- 1/2 cup your favorite salsa or hot sauce, for serving
Trim the mushrooms and remove the stems if you're using a variety, such as shiitake, that have particularly tough stems. Save the stems to make mushroom or other vegetable broth, and chop the remaining mushrooms.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, stirring so it does not burn.
Add the mushrooms, salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the mushrooms have reduced a bit in size, about 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley, then scrape the mixture into a medium bowl.
Wipe the skillet clean and return to medium heat. Toast the corn tortillas, one at a time, for 1 minute on one side.
Working in batches as needed, put as many tortillas as will fit in the pan, and place a few pieces of cheese over just half of each tortilla, on the untoasted side. Scatter about 2 tablespoons of the mushroom mixture over the cheese. Fold the tortilla in half, covering the filling.
Cook until the tortillas are lightly charred and the cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve hot with your favorite salsa or hot sauce on the side.