Shrimp, Swiss Chard, and Swiss Cheese Quesadillas

I was having so much fun last week, posting Cinco de Mayo recipes, that I wanted to make just one more thing that could possibly pass for Mexican. When all was said and done, I think this recipe turned out a bit too out-there to be an authentic Mexican dish, but I really enjoyed it all the same!



I had seen the basic idea for these quesadillas in Cooking Light Magazine, but I took the concept and ran far, far away with it. There was an article last month about putting dark, leafy greens into your quesadilla, usually with some type of protein, and using less cheese. It's an unexpected surprise in between your tortilla, but it's very nutritious and completely tasty. I'm always up for trying new ideas, so I forged on with this one and made it my own.



For my greens, I chose mustard greens. For my protein, I chose to work with shrimp. For my cheese, I was feeling like some Swiss, so that's what I went with. I started out by sauteeing some onions low and slow, then I added garlic, red bell pepper, and finally the mustard greens. Once the greens had wilted down considerably, I turned the heat off and went about assembling the quesadillas. They came together very quickly, and then they baked up in the oven for about 8-10 minutes. The resulting quesadilla was scrumptious! Sweet from the onions, bitter/flavorful from the mustard greens, and the shrimp was great in there. I can only imagine how great sausage would be instead, but this totally worked, too. Feel free to be way more generous with your cheese than I was; I'm a cheese conservationist!

Shrimp, Mustard Greens, and Swiss Cheese Quesadillas
recipe by Bri
makes 8 quesadillas

Ingredients
1/2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 large yellow onions, sliced
1 red bell pepper, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
4-5 cups mustard greens (1 bunch), stemmed and chopped
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
32 shrimp (the size I used was 26/30 per lb.), cooked, shelled, and tails removed
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
8 flour tortillas
Nonstick cooking spray

Directions
1. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes. Once the onions have started to soften, lower the heat to medium-low, cover the skillet, and continue to cook for another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Remove the lid from the onions, allow to cook for another 2 minutes, then add the red bell pepper and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes more, then add in about half the mustard greens. Toss and turn the greens, allowing them to wilt evenly. Sprinkle the Old Bay seasoning over the greens, then add the other half. Once all the greens have wilted down, remove the skillet from the heat and set aside.

3. Take your tortillas and begin to assemble the quesadillas. Lay a tortilla flat, then spread 1/8 of the greens mixture on it. On top of this, add your shrimp (I sliced my shrimp each in half lengthwise, making them extra thin, but this is optional), 4 per quesadilla. Next comes the Swiss cheese, 1 Tbsp. per quesadilla. Fold the tortilla in half, so it forms a half moon, then spray the top with cooking spray. Transfer the quesadilla to a baking sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.

4. Bake the quesadillas for 8-10 minutes, until the filling is very hot, the cheese is melted, and the tortillas have just begun to brown and crisp up on the edges. Cut into wedges and serve.

Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas

Now that I love mushrooms, I admit I have been looking for nearly any opportunity to use them. This recipe for Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas, from the always reliable Ellie Krieger, is a dish that I knew would have me feeling nostalgic. When I was growing up, my dad would make the best homemade quesadillas. They put restaurant quesadillas to shame! They were full of chicken and ooey gooey cheese, and they contained mushrooms. That would not seem particularly revelatory, except for the fact that this was the only way I would ever eat mushrooms. I guess if they were all wrapped up in a cheesy, chickeny package, I could be more easily persuaded to eat them!

These quesadillas are like a kicked-up version of the original that I was brought up eating. With the addition of sauteed onions, shredded baby spinach, and a good dash of cumin, chili powder, and oregano, Ellie's quesadillas are truly some of the most scrumptious ones I've ever had. I love the fact that the spices add so much flavor. The veggies make it even heartier, and the cheese is not excessive, yet it's more than enough. Simple and perfect.

I deviate slightly from Ellie's cooking method, just to keep up my old traditions. My childhood version was baked in the oven, so I choose to do that here instead of pan-frying them. I fill one flattened tortilla with all the quesadilla innards, then top it all off with another tortilla, making a quesadilla sandwich. I count one whole quesadilla as a serving, while Ellie counts just half as a serving. What can I say? We like our quesadillas around these parts!

Chicken-Mushroom Quesadillas
adapted from Ellie Krieger, via foodnetwork.com
makes 4 quesadillas

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 large onion, chopped (about 2 cups)
8 oz. white buttom mushrooms, sliced (about 3 cups)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups chopped cooked, boneless and skinless chicken breast (1 breast half)
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 cups baby spinach leaves, sliced into ribbons
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Mexican or cheddar cheese
Nonstick cooking spray
1/2 cup salsa, optional
1/4 cup reduced-fat sour cream, optional

Directions
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions and mushrooms and cook until the mushroom liquid has evaporated and they begin to brown, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken, cumin, chili powder, and oregano and stir until all the spices are incorporated. Add spinach, salt, and pepper and cook until spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes.

2. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lay 1 tortilla on a flat work surface and sprinkle 1/4 of the chicken/veggie mixture over the tortilla. Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese over the mixture, then top with another tortilla. Spray the top of the quesadilla with nonstick cooking spray. Place the quesadilla on a baking sheet that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Repeat with remaining tortillas, until you have four quesadilla, two per baking sheet.

3. Bake the quesadillas for about 8-10 minutes, until the filling is very hot and the cheese has completely melted. The top of the tortilla should be nicely browned on the edges. Using a pizza cutter, slice each quesadilla into 4-6 wedges. Arrange on a plate, garnish with salsa and sour cream (if using), and serve.