Chicken, Steak or Shrimp Fajita Quesadilla

Taco Tuesday...

We have some sort of Mexican food almost every week.  It can be almost any combination of the classic Jim Gaffigan "Tortilla with meat, cheese and vegetables". And for some reason, it usually happens on a Tuesday.  Maybe I've heard the term "Taco Tuesday" so much that it's ingrained into my skull.  But no matter why my eating habits have developed this way, the giant pancake griddle emerges from the lower cabinets so we can grill up some fresh tortillas. Inevitably, we'll also make a pair of quesadillas for the boys.

So one day I was making some fajitas for Liz and I and thought to combine the fajita and the quesadilla into one.  And this was born.

You do have the option to marinade the meat for a good long time, as we do in the Fajita recipe I have posted before.  If you don't have time, then fall back to the Quick method as I outline below.  Either will give you the flavor, just one will allow it to seep deeper into the meat.  And feel free to combine different meats in whatever proportion you wish.  Chicken and steak for some variety, steak and shrimp for a bot of surf and turf, all of them turn out great!  You'll notice that I recommend cutting the chicken into strips and the steak into quarters.  This is so there is more surface area on the meat, therefore it will cook a little faster.  Also, more of the spices from the marinade will stick to more area of the meat.  Also, cooking the meat on the barbecue is recommended, but not necessary, especially on those cold rainy or snowy days.

Chicken, Steak or Shrimp Fajita Quesadillas

Makes 4 Quesadillas

Marinade
1/2 cup vegetable or canola oil
1 lime
2 cloves of garlic
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1/4 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons chipotle sauce (either bottled or from a can of chipotle peppers)
1 teaspoon hot sauce (Cholulu, Tapatio, Tobasco, or your favorite)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
*Spicy version, add one finely chopped jalapeno (include seeds if you really want to bring the heat) and 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper


Tortillas with Meat, Cheese and Vegetables
1 1/2 pound skinless boneless chicken breast cut into strips, sirloin steak cut into quarters, or shrimp (shells removed and deveined)
1 large onion sliced into half-moons
1 green pepper, sliced into small strips
1 red pepper, sliced into small strips
2 tablespoons oil
8 uncooked tortillas
3-4 cups grated mexican cheeses (or Colby Jack or cheddar if you don't have the Mexican blends around)

Combine all of the marinade ingredients into a large ziploc bag and squish it around with your hand until it is fully combined.  Add your protein of choice, squish it around again to coat the meat and seal the bag.  If you have the time for the long soak, place this bag in another bag to prevent any unwanted spills, seal it tight and leave it in the fridge from 4 hours to overnight.  If you don't have that much time, place the bag in the fridge for 15-30 minutes and then prepare the veggies.

Cut the tops off the peppers and clean out the centers and seeds.  Slice your peppers and onions into quarters vertically so they are easier to handle, then slice them into long strips and set aside.  Slice your onion into small half moon shapes.  If you have access to a barbecue, it's preferable to cook the meat there, but if not, do the following...

Place 2 large saute pan or skillets over medium heat and add the oil to only one of them.  Once the oil has heated up, dump the onions and peppers into that saute pan, increase the heat slightly and stir occasionally for 12-15 minutes so the onions and peppers become soft and begin to caramelize.   Add the meat to the other skillet and cook until the chicken and shrimp are thoroughly cooked or the steak is cooked to Medium.  When both the meat and veggies are done, evacuate them to a cutting board.  Slice the chicken and steak into small bite-size pieces, remove the tails from the shrimp, and then place them in a bowl and set aside.

Heat your griddle to 350 degrees.  Place two tortillas on the griddle.  When they are done on one side, work quickly... flip one tortilla and sprinkle cheese to cover.  Add the meat and veggies on top of the cheese and add another layer of cheese on top.  Take the second tortilla and place it on top of the cheese, cooked side down.  After 1 1/2  to 2 minutes, flip the quesadilla to cook the other tortilla.  When both sides are cooked to your satisfaction, remove it to a plate and start working on the next one.  Repeat until they are all done.

Serve with a little Spanish Rice on the side and lots of salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

So do a little something different for your next Taco Tuesday, make a batch of Fajita Quesadillas instead!