WIAW #30: Grilled Quesadillas and Homemade Salsa

I just realized that last week I repeated "WIAW #28" so actually, we are at 30 already! That's right folks I've been a part of this awesome link party for 30 Wednesdays over a period of 32 weeks (I missed two Wednesdays) that means I've been WIAWing for almost half a year now and you know what...it's been a blast.  I have met some great people along the way and found even more great blogs out there. I can't wait for the next thirty!

Now a little about my eats and my day:

On Saturday we went to one of my favorite places in the world, Knoebel's Family Amusement Park in Elysburg, PA. (More on this later though)

On Sunday Aaron and I went kayaking on the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg, PA. We had such a great time especially after we went to the old fashioned drive in restaurant, Red Rabbit. 

 But let's talk about my weekday eats:

Breakfast

Great Grains Cranberry Almond Crunch cereal with fat-free milk

Cup of strength five coffee

Lunch

Grilled Cheese with three slices of tomato

2 pickle spears

Green Tea

 

Afternoon Snack

Sliced fuji apples with Natural Peanut butter on my way to a mani-pedi with mom

Dinner

Grilled Chicken quesadilla with cheddar, onion, grilled chicken 

with non-fat plain yoghurt and cilantro

homemade salsa and classic tortilla chips

Other "Fruitastic" snacks this week:

 

Fresh local strawberries with ricotta, fresh mint, lemon zest and local honey yummmmm

Fresh peach slices

Fresh strawberries at work with honey

As I don't have a recipe for today's post I thought it would be a perfect time for Aaron to share the AMAZING dinner he made last night for my mom and I. As this was grill centered I thought it would be perfect for the second edition of Grilling with Aaron which I know you are all dying for!

So without further ado, herrrrrrree's Aaron!

Growing up in San Diego, I was exposed to some of the best Mexican cuisine in the United States. Since moving to the East Coast several years ago, I have rarely found really authentic Mexican style salsa. So over the last couple of years I have made a great effort to perfect my own recipe. Salsa can be a great addition to many grilling items including steak or chicken, or one of my favorites, quesadillas on the grill.

This is a great summer meal when the grill is ready and available. The type of grill is up to you but I prefer propane since it tends to be cleaner and more efficient.

But first things first:

No quesadilla is complete without authentic salsa, here’s mine.

Perfect, Mexican Style Salsa: 

makes roughly 2 cups of prepared salsa

I never measure out ingredients exactly, I usually use a half of one jalapeno, at least two cloves of garlic, one half of a white onion, and a good bit of cilantro. The rest of the ingredients are exact. This can also be made ahead of time.

Ingredients:

½ of one fresh Jalapeno pepper

Juice of ½ lemon

Juice of ½ lime

2 cloves of fresh garlic, minced

Salt to taste

20 oz. canned plum tomatoes

½ white onion

Sriracha “Rooster” Hot Chili Sauce (5 drops)

Roughly ½ cup of chopped fresh cilantro

Directions:

Place the tomatoes in a blender first and then pour the rest of the ingredients.

(I would not use more than five drops of Sriracha unless you want REALLY spicy salsa.)

Then slowly mix and sample a little bit until you find a taste balance that suits your personal preference. That is what salsa is all about.

For best results, transefer salsa to a large bowl and refrigerate for at least 30  minutes before serving.

Serve with Corn tortilla chips and freshly grilled quesadillas.

Now for quesadillas on the grill:

Aaron’s Grilled Chicken Quesadillas: 

makes 6 quesadillas

Ingredients:

2 skinless boneless chicken breasts

Gazebo Greek Salad dressing (about ½ cup or more for marinade)

½ white onion

2 cups of grated Cheddar cheese

Garlic infused Olive Oil

1-2 bell peppers of different colors, roughly chopped

Fresh Cilantro for garnish

Directions:

Marinate thinly sliced chicken with Greek salad dressing.

Place chicken slices on the grill until they are pink in the center (ensure you don’t cook the chicken all the way through so that it does not become overcooked when you place back on the grill in the tortillas). Once mostly cooked, slice into thin strips.

Dip tortillas in garlic infused olive oil and place a tortilla on to the grill.

While on the grill place sliced chicken, cheese, onions, and bell peppers on the tortilla and then place another oil dipped tortilla on top.

After the cheese starts to melt a little, flip the quesadilla so its golden brown on both sides. (make sure the cheese is slightly melted to acts as a “glue” for the quesadilla before flipping)

Serve immediately as quesadillas can get soggy. Serve with homemade salsa, and extra cilantro. (Try plain non-fat yoghurt for a guilt free version of sour cream.)

Enjoy!

Aaron (and Marisa)