Dumpling Help!

My family loves Chicken and Dumplings, I love my "soup part" of it.  I have not been able to find dumplings I love.  Manny 3 and I really liked Dad's Oatmeal dumplings, but mine don't come out the same.  I have tried all kinds of variations not satisfied yet:)  Tonight I am be "unorthodox" and adding Stacy's Gandma Tillie's Matza balls to our Chicken and Dumplings!!  Please share a recipe that you like!

Awesome General Tso's Chicken

General Tso’s Chicken Serves 4 as part of a multi-course meal, 2 to 3 as a main entree 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, sliced into 1-inch cubes 1 1/2 cups cornstarch 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 3 peanut or vegetable oil for frying, plus 1 tablespoon for stir-frying 8 dried whole red chilis, or substitute 1/4 teaspoon dried red chili flakes 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 teaspoon white sesame seeds, for garnish Scallions, green parts thinly sliced, for garnish Marinade: 1 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry 2 egg whites Sauce: 1/4 cup chicken stock, or substitute water 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon rice vinegar 1 teaspoon hoisin sauce 1 teaspoon chili paste 1 teaspoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon sugar 1 teaspoon cornstarch 1. Prepare the marinade: In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, rice wine, and egg whites. Coat the chicken to the marinade mixture and let sit for 10 minutes. 2. Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, combine the chicken stock, tomato paste, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, chili paste, sesame oil, sugar, and the 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Stir until the sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. Set the sauce aside. 3. In a large bowl or deep plate, toss the 1 1/2 cups cornstarch with the salt and pepper. Coat the marinated chicken in the cornstarch and shake off any excess before frying. 4. Heat the 3 cups of peanut or vegetable oil in your wok until it registers 350°F on an instant-read oil thermometer. Working in 2 or 3 batches, add the first batch of chicken cubes and fry until golden brown on the outside and cooked through, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the rest of the chicken. 5. Drain the oil into a heatproof container and save for discarding. Wipe the wok with a paper towel to remove any brown bits, but don’t wash. 6. Reheat the wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add another 1 tablespoon of oil and swirl to coat the base and sides. Add the dried chilis and garlic to the wok and stir-fry until just fragrant, about 20 seconds. Pour in the sauce mixture and stir until thickened, about 1 to 2 minutes. 7. Return the chicken to the wok and stir well to coat with sauce. Transfer the chicken to a serving dish. Garnish with white sesame seeds and scallions. Serve with white rice and vegetables. You have got to try this!!!

Freezer Meals (Mostly Crockpot)

My daughter and I spent an hour and half prepping meals today to fill our freezer. Here is what we did:

Chicken Teriyaki

Pork Loin Teriyaki (used the same ingredients - teriyaki marinade, broccoli, carrots & pineapple, then added pork to one, chicken to the other)

Chicken Tacos

Beef Tacos (onion, peppers, salsa - one with chicken and one with browned ground beef)

Shredded Roast Pork (BBQ sauce, can of cola)

Pineapple Skirt Steak (pineapple, olive oil, lime, garlic and soy sauce)

2 bags of meat sauce

While she chopped and put together the most of the bags, I browned ground beef for tacos, meat sauce and lasagna, browned sausage for sauce and lasagna, cooked the sauce and put together the lasagna.

We labeled the bags and will just pull one out and pop in the crock pot when needed. I can't believe how easy it was with 2 of us doing it together and how much we got done. Yeah!

Thai Chicken Wraps

This was quick and yummy! It's from a Back Packing site Manny goes to: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?61693-Thai-Chicken-Wraps&s=ec5e1b8aa83a921921ea6b59ebafd783

This recipe was designated a lunch/snack recipe due to it's simpleness but of course can be used for a dinner as well.

Ingredients

•1/2 C. Creamy Peanut Butter

•1/2 C. of Prepared Pad Thai sauce (easily found in most grocery stores)

•1 Bunch of Green Onion

•4 Large Tortillas, Wraps, or Flatbreads

•1 Pkg - 7 Ounces of Tyson Chicken (or two 5 ounce cans)

•Leaf or Romaine Lettuce (We suggest Romaine. It's much stiffer and will hold up well in a pack for a day or two as long as it does not get overheated)

Package the above ingredients using whatever method suits you

Trail Preparation

In your cookpot (we suggest using hard anodized aluminum for its non stick properties) stir together the peanut butter, chopped green onions and pad thai sauce. Cook over medium heat stirring until sauce is mixed completely and warm. Do not overcook!

Layout a Tortilla or Wrap, top with lettuce, chicken and onions. Sauce over the top and then wrap burrito style.

Notes

You may also consider saucing the wrap first, then other ingredients but we find personally that having the sauce on the chicken imparts a better flavor.

Linguine with shrimp and cilantro lime pesto

We will be eating this tomorrow.
http://www.erinsfoodfiles.com/2010/06/linguine-with-shrimp-and-cilantro-lime-pesto.html
I hope it tastes as good as it sounds. I may do half chicken and half shrimp a I have one that does not eat seafood. Will let you know how it is:)

Chicken Divan Recipe - HELP!

I was at a loss as to what to make for dinner tonight, and George requested Chicken Divan. The recipe he wanted, is, (of course!), the recipe that the Dunicans first ate when Mrs. McCormack made it for the church fair one year, many, many ages ago. We all loved it and Mom requested the recipe -- it then became a staple in our house -- cheap, easy, fed a crowd, what more could Mom ask for? I believe it was a standby for many of our families for many years after, as well. I haven't made it in a long time and I couldn't find my recipe tonight, so I did my best from memory -- I know the basics chicken, rice & broccoli, a sauce made with Cream of Chicken (I substituted Cream of Broccoli), mayo, lemon juice & curry powder, and topped with some cheddar.

Any of my sisters have the original recipe?

Happy Cinco de Mayo! We were early on the celebrating this year. We attended a neighborhood bash on Saturday, because we just couldn’t get it together for tonight (too many darn kids running in too many darn directions). Delicious empanadas, fajitas, and frijoles a la charra.

Then, in our household, yesterday I needed a meal I could throw together quickly and early and with what I had on hand, so that everyone could feed themselves when they came in from baseball practice, before the baseball game, and from the baseball game, respectively. It ended up being a great, family-pleasing meal — I love when that happens!

I have a divided crockpot. In half, I put 4 chicken breasts, a can of enchilada sauce, and a can of diced green chiles. In the other half, I put 2 cans of red kidney beans, a large can of diced tomatoes, a cup of white rice, uncooked, a teaspoon of garlic, some salt, pepper, and cumin, and about ¼ cup of diced red peppers that I had on hand. I turned the crockpot on High at 2:30; I cut up some avocados, tomatoes, lettuce, black olives, green onions, and put them and shredded cheese, salsa, and sour cream in Tupperwares together in the fridge, defrosted some tortillas, and by 5:30, the chicken was cooked and ready to be shredded and returned to the sauce, and the rice and beans were cooked (but I might add about ½ cup of water next time) — soft chicken tacos with red beans and rice, from where there was no original meal plan, I love it! (And, as it turned out, thunder and lightning ended the first game early and canceled the second game altogether, so we got to sit down and eat as a family, even better.)

Tonight, we’ll grill, but my nod to Cinco de Mayo will be this Black Bean Salad that my family has lovingly turned into a dip (or filling for burritos and tacos). It’s one of the healthiest dips you’ll find. (Oh, and we’ll have a glass of sangria.) Enjoy!

Black Bean Salad

2 16 oz can black beans, drained, rinsed
1 tomato, diced
2 green onions, chopped
1 bunch cilantro, minced
½ t cumin
2 dashes Tabasco pepper sauce
2 small garlic cloves, minced
4 T balsamic vinegar
8 T olive oil
salt and pepper
2 avocados, diced

Combine all ingredients except avocado in a bowl and let stand for 30 minutes to combine flavors. (Can be prepared up to 2 days in advanced and refrigerated.)

Just before serving, add diced avocado, correct seasonings, and serve on a leaf of Boston lettuce as a salad, or as a dip with tortilla chips.

I forgot how yummy this was!

I made an Oven Roaster last night and was thinking of how to use the leftover chicken. This recipe came from a friend of Manny's!

Sweet Bride's Easy Spicy Mexican Chicken Soup

• 2-3 Cups cooked and cubed chicken (I roast chicken breasts, cool then cube)
• 4 cups chicken broth (you can make your own or use Imagine or Kitchen Basics chicken broth as they are both really good).
• 2 cans of Cream of Chicken Soup (like Campbell’s Healthy Choice with the lower sodium)
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 cans Rotel Mexican style tomatoes (these are spicy but really good cooked tomatoes). If you are worried about the heat, then use 1 can of the Rotel tomatoes and 1 can of fire-roasted tomatoes.
• 1- 4 oz. Can of diced green chilies
• 1 can of white corn, or you can cut the corn off of 2 ears, depending on the season.
• 1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 onion, cut into bite size pieces
• 1 carrot, cut into bite size pieces
• 1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
• Chopped Cilantro
• Kosher salt to taste
• Pepper to taste
• 1-2 avocados

Roast the chicken breasts in a 350° oven until almost done. Let the chicken cool. Strip off the skin and discard. Cube the chicken and set aside. You could also use a pre-cooked chicken but I like using the breast meat.

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, sauté the onions, carrot and cumin until the onions are almost clear. Add the chicken stock, wine, cream of chicken soup, corn, tomatoes and diced chilies. Simmer until the carrots are done. Add the chicken and some chopped cilantro. Bring back to a simmer and taste. Adjust seasonings and simmer from 30 minutes up to 2 hours.

To serve 4-6 people: Ladle the soup in a bowl and top with chopped avocado and chopped cilantro.

I make corn bread to go with this soup. If you want a heartier meal add a good salad.

Avocado-Pomegranate Salsa

Avocados are good now. My girls are not fans of guacamole so I was looking for more ways to get them to eat Avocados, which are good for you. This was in our paper and I thought the Avocado-Pomegranate Salsa sounded great, but have never seen any pomegranate molasses. I'll have to look for it, but the recipe does tell a make -it your self substitution so don't let that hold you back.

Slow-Cooker Chicken and Dumplings

A friend of mine sent me a link to this recipe and asked for my opinion on converting into a slow-cooker meal. I gave her my take, but thought you all might have some good ideas as well. Thoughts?

http://www.2equalparts.com/content/easier-chicken-and-dumplings

Buffalo Chicken Chili Recipe

This looks worth a try for Football parties or Winter!
http://www.pillsbury.com/Recipes/ShowRecipe.aspx?rid=46171&WT.dcsvid=NTE4OTI3Mjk0NgS2&rvrin=61A15436-7004-4164-94FA-DAE9035F9033&WT.mc_id=Newsletter_PB_01_22_2010&rvrin=61A15436-7004-4164-94FA-DAE9035F9033

SOUP-er Easy!

My kids always love to order Miso Soup when we get Chinese or Japanese food, mostly for the tofu. They have been asking me to make tofu at home, but anytime I have, it hasn't come out right -- mostly apparently because I do "stuff" to it. So tonight, mostly because I didn't have much food in the house and partly because I had 2 running out to soccer practice, I threw together a super easy soup:

I heated up some chicken broth, threw in some veggies from the fridge, added a can of cubed chicken breast and some diced tofu. Really easy and the kids loved it!

Chicken Salad Contessa

We have one of those days today, where we are in the car and driving kids around all afternoon to different activities. We'll all be walking in the house together around 6:45-7 PM and I know they will all be hungry. I wasn't sure what I was going to do about feeding everyone, but when I was at the store this AM, I spied the newly baked Rotisserie Chickens. I grabbed one and came home and put together Ina Garten's Chicken Salad Contessa. Picked up some rolls to go with it. We'll have regular salad and veggies with it. Who knows what, if anything, else...

I made this last year for my daughter's 1st Communion party (that time I did actually bake the chicken myself, but some days, that just isn't possible). It was easy to double or more and it is one of my favorites!

Chicken Salad Contessa

2 split (1 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on (1 1/2 pounds)
Good olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup pecan halves (3 C)
1/2 cup walnuts halves (3 C)
1/2 cup good mayonnaise (3 C)
1/2 cup sour cream (3 C)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon leaves, divided (6 Tbsp)
1 cup green grapes, cut in 1/2 (6 C)
Lettuce leaves, for serving
Small dinner rolls, tops split

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts, skin side up, on a baking sheet and rub them with olive oil. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper. Roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Set aside until cool.

When the chicken is cool, remove meat from the bones and discard the skin and bones. Cut the chicken into a 3/4-inch dice.

Meanwhile, place the pecans and walnuts on a separate sheet pan and toast in the oven for 7 to 8 minutes until golden. Set aside to cool.

For the dressing, mix together the mayonnaise, sour cream, 2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Fold in half the chopped tarragon leaves.

Place the diced chicken in a bowl, add the pecans, walnuts and grapes. Pour the dressing over the chicken and toss well. Sprinkle the remaining chopped tarragon leaves on top, and serve on a bed of lettuce leaves.

April fools' meals

Any fun April fools meals to fool your family? Here is what I tried.
fake chicken pot pie

It looked great. I made a big one not individual ones.  It did take time especially because I burnt the pudding the first time, and hadn't planned ahead and had to make a pie crust from scratch. But they were fooled until it was cut. The problem was after all that work, I had to make a real dinner and hide it until needed. It was fun.

Yummy

I know many people love Chicken Marsala, in fact it's what they usually order when they go out. In fact, this winter at a memorial luncheon for our friend Jill, 3 out of 6 ladies ordered it, because they knew Jill would have:) I've had it before, but I tend to go for seafood or pastas when I'm out. Recently, I made this to bring down to my parents (Low sodium, low fat diets). It was a hit with all of us. I left out the half and half, as I was making it ahead and reheating it at their house. I'm making it again this week. It was delicious without the cream, so I'm anxious to try it as written.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=549748

Let me know what you think!

Snow Day Recipes

It's a snow day here in PA, and in many other places around the country. Anyone have some great, warm & cozy meals they make on these chilly days?

I have taken out chicken thighs and am not heading out to the store in the snow, so I'll have to see what I have to go with them. I'm looking for something I can put in the crockpot this morning and forget about.

I think I am going to do something like this, but with thighs and in the crockpot. It was from the BHG chicken dinners link that Kate posted awhile ago. I think I'll serve with some kind of pasta, maybe orzo, and a salad.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves (1-1/4 to 1-1/2 lb. total)

2 Tbsp. olive oil

1 medium onion, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz. can crushed tomatoes

1 5.75oz. jar sliced pitted green olives, drained

1 2.25-oz. can sliced pitted ripe olives, drained

2 Tbsp. capers, drained

2 Tbsp. finely shredded lemon peel

1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

3 Tbsp. snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley

1. In large skillet brown chicken in hot oil over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, turning once. Remove chicken from skillet; set aside. Add onion to skillet. Cook over medium heat for 8 to 10 minutes or until tender and lightly browned, stirring occasionally and adding garlic the last 1 minute of cooking.

2. Stir tomatoes, olives, capers, lemon peel, and oregano into onion mixture. Place chicken on tomato mixture. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, covered, for 13 to 15 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink (170 degrees F).

3. To serve, place chicken on platter. Season tomato mixture to taste with salt and black pepper. Spoon tomato mixture over chicken. Sprinkle with parsley. Makes 4 servings.

I got this link in an email from BHG.com today: Effortless One-dish Chicken Dinners. Each one looked better than then last. I especially liked the looks of Ginger-curry chicken with lentils and leeks and Chicken with olives.

Enjoy!

Don't labor on Labor Day

My sister, Bridget, is having my parents and aunts to dinner over the holiday weekend, and she wanted the food to be ready so that she could visit, and not spend the day in the kitchen. She wanted to make use of the seasonal vegetables (she usually has some great garden offerings, either her own or from friends), and grilling.

I told her that lately my do-ahead meal has been fajitas. You can do the chicken and steak and leave them slightly rare, and keep them warm in the oven on low or in the crockpot on warm until you're ready to eat. They don't have to be hot, hot, when you serve them, just warm, then you can make all the fixin’s: salsa, guacamole, cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, sour cream, flour tortillas, tomatoes, lettuce, jalapeños, ...

If you aren’t in the mood for Mexican, you can do a nice salad and top it with the steak and/or chicken. You could do some other nice seasonal treats to go along with the salad, almost like a salad bar (nice tomatoes, cucumbers, marinated zucchini), and some corn on the cob on the side.

These are also great meals for those crazy back-to-school nights when we don’t know if we’re coming or going.

What do you think? What do you serve when you don’t want to miss all the fun while you work in the kitchen?

HOT! HOT! HOT!

Not! How ‘bout Rainy! Rainy! Rainy! — and at the worst possible point in the summer for me and mine. We went to Hampton Beach for 4 days, rain. We were trying to end the baseball season, rain. We went to see Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band at Foxboro Stadium, rain. We went camping at Old Orchard Beach, rain. But I’m not complaining, in fact, I’m turning it to inspiration ... that, combined with the National Blog Posting Month topic of “Hot,” has turned me to “hot” recipes — some new ones and some tried-and-true.

This is one I’ve always loved at a party. They take a little time, so make them up ahead of time, then just heat them at the last minute, and enjoy your guests. Beware, they’re hot!

Cheesy Chicken Pepper Poppers

1 jar hot cherry peppers in vinegar, stems and seeds removed
2 chicken breasts, poached and shredded
6 green onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
12 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
2 eggs
3 T heavy cream
1 c Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1 T cumin
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine chicken, onions, garlic, cream cheese, eggs, cream, cheese, cumin, salt, and pepper; mix well. Stuff each pepper and place on a baking sheet. (Peppers can be covered and refrigerated at this point, or packaged in an airtight container and frozen for later use.)

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350°. Place peppers on baking sheet in preheated oven. Bake until filling is puffed and peppers are soft, about 45 minutes. Serve hot.

Cinco de mayo quick bites

Happy Cinco de Mayo, everyone! I'm pretty sure this is just another American excuse to turn any day into a party ... and I have no problem with that! Bring it on! In fact, tonight we’re going from one son’s baseball game to the other’s, so I sent out a call to the baseball team — how about we all bring appetizers to the game (and forget about the dinner rush before or after the game). Like I said, any excuse for a party.

But Cinco de Mayo got me thinking about the beauty of Mexican food. First, it’s quick. For the most part, you roll some unsuspecting ingredients into a tortilla, and you’re done. Second, it’s kid-friendly. Think tacos: Kids get to make their own and customize by adding what they like most, so it’s less work for you in the kitchen, and they’re happy. Win-win. The same is true for most varieties of Mexican foods: Enchiladas, burritos, quesadillas, nachos (no, we’re not above having a big plate of chili or chicken nachos for dinner). Third, it’s adaptable. Any taco recipe you like, you can turn into burritos, and burrito recipe you like, you can turn into enchiladas, etc. Also, don't like chicken? Substitute pork or beef or beans. Very adaptable, use what you have on hand. Fourth, it’s quick. (You know that that is so important, I can’t state it strongly enough.)

Quesadillas are a quick grilled cheese sandwich with other fun fillings tucked in. They’re a great use for leftovers, too. When making the chicken quesadillas below, make it quicker by using leftover chicken if you have it (a roasted chicken from the supermarket is also a great way to get a quick meal on the table). If you don’t have the leftover chicken, it’s still pretty quick to poach the chicken as directed. (Whenever I need quick cooked chicken, I use this method for poaching, it’s so quick and easy, it’s a real “building block” recipe.)

The other great thing about quesadillas is they may be made ahead. Think impromptu party: Guests knock on your door, you’re covered, you have appetizers or dinner in the freezer already. Just serve with some good-quality salsa, and, if you have it, sour cream.

A word about cooking the quesadillas, electric quesadilla grills are available. They press the tortillas and ingredients together and leave nice indentations so you can cut the quesadilla into 6 professional-looking pieces. I don’t have this gadget, so I use two cast-iron frying pans (any frying pan or skillet will do, the heavier the better). Heat them both over moderate heat, spray one with cooking spray and layer the first tortilla, ingredients, and second tortilla in the pan, place the second skillet on top and apply a little pressure, this will press and cook the quesadilla more evenly. If necessary, you can turn the quesadilla to finish cooking before cutting with a pizza cutter or sharp knife and serving.

Poached chicken

1½ lb chicken breast halves
1 t lime juice

Arrange chicken in a glass pie plate with thickest sides at edge of plate; sprinkle with lime juice. Cover with plastic wrap (make a vent hole) and cook in microwave on high power 6 to 8 minutes, turning breasts over after 4 minutes. Cool slightly, then shred meat.

Chicken quesadillas
serves 4

3½ c chicken, cooked
¾ t salt
½ t pepper
1 large onion, halved lengthwise, thinly sliced crosswise
2 T vegetable oil
2 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
5 oz Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated
8 large flour tortillas (fajita sized)
optional toppings: sour cream, salsa, cilantro, lime wedge, guacamole

Sprinkle chicken with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper.

Cook onion with remaining ¼ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper in oil in a 10- to 12-inch skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute, then transfer to a large bowl. Add chicken to onion mixture along with cheese.

Heat a second similarly sized skillet. Layer one tortilla, 1 cup chicken mixture, and a second tortilla in the skillet, place the second skillet on top and apply a little pressure, this will press and cook the quesadilla more evenly. Cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and quesadilla is golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Assemble and cook remaining quesadillas in same manner. Transfer with a spatula to cutting board and cut in half. Quesadillas may be served or refrigerated or frozen for later use at this point.

To reheat quesadillas: Remove from freezer and defrost in refrigerator the day before you plan to eat them. Heat in 325° oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted, but tortilla is not too crisp. Cool 5 minutes.

To serve: Slice with pizza wheel or large serrated knife.

Black bean quesadillas
serves 4

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
3 green onions, finely chopped
½ red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 large garlic cloves, minced
1½ T jalapeño pepper, seeded, minced
3 t cumin
5 oz Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese, grated
8 large flour tortillas (fajita sized)
optional toppings: sour cream, salsa, cilantro, lime wedge, guacamole

In a large bowl, coarsely mash beans with a potato masher or the back of a spoon. Add green onions, peppers, garlic, jalapeños, and cumin. Add cheese.

Heat a second similarly sized skillet. Layer one tortilla, 1 cup bean mixture, and a second tortilla in the skillet, place the second skillet on top and apply a little pressure, this will press and cook the quesadilla more evenly. Cook, turning once, until cheese is melted and quesadilla is golden brown, about 4 minutes total. Assemble and cook remaining quesadillas in same manner. Transfer with a spatula to cutting board and cut in half. Quesadillas may be served or refrigerated or frozen for later use at this point.

To reheat quesadillas: Remove from freezer and defrost in refrigerator the day before you plan to eat them. Heat in 325° oven for about 15 minutes, until cheese is melted, but tortilla is not too crisp. Cool 5 minutes.

To serve: Slice with pizza wheel or large serrated knife.
Serve quesadillas with sour cream, salsa, chopped cilantro, lime wedges, and guacamole, if desired — and of course a large margarita, on the rocks with salt.