Mexican on the Grill

Still sifting through a batch of produce that I picked up at a farm stand on the way home from the shore, I decided to make it a Mexican night! I fired up the grill and the end result was a healthy, tasty meal to satisfy my hunger for something robust...




Chicken Quesadillas on the Grill (makes 4)

• 1 cup of leftover cooked chicken
• 8 corn or flour tortillas
• 1 ripe tomato, diced
  
• 1-2 jalapeno peppers, diced into small pieces
  
• 1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced
  
• 1 cup shredded Monterrey jack or pepper jack cheese
• Canola oil

Heat grill to medium-high heat.

Brush one side of each tortilla with canola oil.

On half of the tortillas (oil side down), place about 1-2 T of the shredded cheese. Top with chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and scallions.

Add another layer or cheese to create "glue" to hold the tortillas together. Top with second tortilla, oil side up.

Slide onto grill and heat for about 4-6 minutes, pressing down with a spatula every so often. Carefully flip, and grill on second side until cheese is melted, about 3 more minutes.

Remove from grill and slice into wedges. Serve with sour cream and guacamole, as well as a side of grilled corn salad (recipe below).



Smoky Grilled Corn Salad

• 4 ears of fresh corn, husked
• 2 red bell peppers cut into 1" strips
• 1 bunch scallions (green onions), cut into 3" pieces
• 4 T olive oil, divided
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 T fresh lime juice
• 1 T chipotle hot sauce (I used the adobo sauce from leftover canned chipotle peppers in adobo)
• 1/2 cup cilantro (I used Italian flat leaf parsley since I dislike the taste of cilantro

Thread peppers and scallions on metal skewers or wooden skewers that have been soaked in water for 20 minutes.

Brush corn, peppers, and scallions with oil. Grill vegetables until charred in some spots, 15 minutes for corn and 5 minutes for peppers & onions.

Cool slightly. Cut corn off the cob and add, with onions and peppers, to serving bowl.

Heat 2 T oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cumin and saute until garlic begins to sizzle. Remove immediately - do not let garlic get brown. Add lime juice and hot sauce and combine. Pour over vegetables and stir to coat.

Season to taste with salt & pepper. Cool completely, add cilantro (or parsley).

Enjoy!