Meat mains
Beef quesadillas with cherry tomato and tomatillo salsa
A great, family-friendly Mexican dish in between a stuffed pancake and a toasted sandwich. This is a delicious dinner that goes down well with nearly everyone. If you don't get any tomatillos in your box you could swap in cherry tomatoes. Add braised kale or spinach, and use whatever kind of cheese you've got in the fridge. As well as the salsa this goes especially well guacamole.
Ingredients
for the chilli salsa
- 125g cherry tomatoes, quartered
- 125g tomatillos, finely diced (or double up on the cherry tomatoes)
- 1 small red onion, diced
- 2 tbsp fresh coriander, chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish
- 1 mild red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 limes, juiced
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- salt and pepper
for the filling
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 350g lean minced beef
- 1 large onion, finely chopped
- 1 red pepper, finely chopped
- ½ tsp sweet smoked paprika
- ½ tsp each cumin and coriander, lightly toasted and ground
- 2 tsp tomato purée
- 200ml crème fraîche
- 4 spring onions, finely chopped
- 150g Cheddar, Jarlsberg or Gruyère, grated
- 150g feta, crumbled
- 8 soft tortillas
Method
-
Step 1
mix the tomatoes and tomatillos in a bowl with the red onion, chopped coriander, chilli, lime juice and olive oil, stirring until well combined. Season, cover with clingfilm and leave at room temperature to allow the ingredients to get acquainted.
-
Step 2
To prepare the filling, heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the beef, onion and pepper for about 10 minutes. Stir in the smoked paprika, cumin, coriander and tomato purée, and cook for another minute or so.
-
Step 3
Mix half the crème fraiche into the meat mixture. Spoon and spread the meat mixture onto half a tortilla, then add the cheese and spring onions. Fold over and press down with the back of a spatula.
-
Step 4
Fry over a medium heat in a dry non-stick pan for about 2 minutes on each side. The cheese will melt and the tortilla should be firm and a bit crunchy.
-
Step 5
Cut each quesadilla into 3 and serve with the salsa and an extra dollop of crème fraiche.
