Friday- Punjabi Quesadillas

Adapted from Spice Goddess

Chef’s Notes : Have you ever watched the Cooking Channel? No? Well I’ll try to remember that not everyone likes to cook as much as I do and keep my disappointed look to myself. I digress, we found another show that we enjoy; “Spice Goddess”. Although I will admit that sometimes I even find her use of spices overwhelming, most of her recipes sound really good! We had looked for some of her mentioned spices at our local store and couldn’t find a few. So we ventured to our local Asian Grocer, and when I found garam masala I literally squealed with delight because I knew I could make these! So watch the Cooking Channel and visit an Asian Grocer, I promise you’ll enjoy both with no disappointed faces!

Plan of Attack:

1. Make quesadilla filling

2. Heat quesadillas

Ingredients for 2:

1 Tbsp olive oil

½ red onion, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ Tbsp coriander seeds

½ Tbsp garam masala

½ tsp paprika

½ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 Tbsp tomato paste

½ lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cubed

¼ C plain yogurt

2 whole wheat tortillas

1/3 C shredded mozzarella

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Then add onion and garlic and sauté 4 minutes
2. Add ground ginger, coriander seeds, garam masala, paprika, turmeric and salt and stir for 15 seconds
3. Add tomato paste, mashing to incorporate in
4. Add the chicken cubes and cook about 8 minutes until the chicken is cooked
5. Finally add the plain yogurt and cook a final 2 minutes
6. To the whole wheat tortilla add cheese, ½ the chicken mixture only covering ½ of the tortilla and top with more cheese. Fold over and brush with olive oil and cook.
7. Cooking options: Panini Press, Dry skillet heated to medium-high or bake in a 400 degree oven for 8-10 minutes.
8. Cut into wedges
9. Enjoy!