Description
Shake up your quesadilla routine with a little curry powder and plenty of make-ahead options for a quick dinner.
Ingredients
- FOR THE SOUR CREAM SAUCE:
- Vegetable Oil, As Needed
- 1 whole Yellow Bell Pepper
- ¾ cups Sour Cream
- 2 cloves Garlic, Roughly Chopped
- 1 teaspoon Grated Ginger
- 1 whole Large Lime, Juiced
- ¾ teaspoons Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoons Curry Powder
- FOR THE QUESADILLAS:
- 1-½ Tablespoon Coconut Oil, Divided
- 1 whole Orange Bell Pepper, Cut To 1 By 1/2 Inch Strips
- ½ whole Red Onion, Halved Lengthwise And Sliced 1/4-inch Thick
- Salt And Pepper, As Needed
- ¾ teaspoons Curry Powder
- 6 leaves Kale, Stems Removed, Chopped Into 2-inch Pieces
- ½ whole Lime, Juiced
- 1-½ cup Shredded Havarti Cheese
- 1 cup Shredded Manchego Cheese (or More Havarti)
- ¼ cups Roughly Chopped Cilantro
- Vegetable Oil, As Needed
- 8 whole Small Corn Tortillas
- ½ cups Salsa (or More), For Serving
- 4 slices Lime, For Serving (optional)
Preparation
For the sweet pepper sour cream sauce:
Lightly rub the outside of the pepper with vegetable oil and broil about 6 inches from the heat for 5–8 minutes per side. Once blistered and blackened almost all over, place in a heatproof bowl and cover with plastic wrap, a dish towel, and a plate or pan for 15 minutes. Uncover and peel off skin by hand, then stem and seed. Dry on paper towels, roughly chop, and place in a blender or food processor once cooled.
Add ¼ cup of the sour cream and remaining sauce ingredients and blend until smooth. Stir in ½ teaspoon salt and remaining ½ cup sour cream by hand. Refrigerate until chilled, a day or more if time permits.
For the quesadillas:
Heat 1 tablespoon coconut oil over medium high in a 10-inch or larger cast iron skillet. Add peppers and onion and cook until well browned in places and mostly softened, stirring infrequently. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a mixing bowl to cool.
In the same skillet, heat remaining coconut oil over medium, sprinkle curry powder into the pan, and cook for 1 minute, stirring. Add kale, a generous pinch of salt, and lime juice. Stir occasionally until kale is completely wilted, 5 minutes or more. Remove to a cutting board, chop small, and add to the bowl of peppers and onions. When the vegetables are cool enough that they won’t melt the cheese (refrigerate to speed this up), add both cheeses, cilantro, and salt and pepper to taste.
Carefully wipe out the cast iron skillet with a damp cloth. While it heats over medium high, brush one side of each tortilla with vegetable oil. Lay one tortilla oil side down in the skillet, top with about ¾ cup filling and spread filling about ½ inch short of the edge. Top with a second tortilla, oil side out. Press down on the quesadilla for 10–20 seconds with a big spatula, then continue to fry for a few minutes until lightly browned and the cheese is melting well. Use the spatula to flip the quesadilla over and cook until browned on the other side. Scoop any loose filling out of the pan so it doesn’t burn. Repeat to make remaining quesadillas. After quesadillas have cooled slightly, cut into fourths and serve with salsa, lime wedges, and the sauce.
Notes:
1. See link to the blog post for more useful details on make ahead options, cook times, and ingredients.
2. The quesadillas are gluten-free, and vegetarian if you use vegetarian cheese.
