International Recipes
Thai Chicken Quesadillas with Spicy
Peanut Sauce and Mango Salsa
Bursting with flavors and colors, you'll taste surprises at every turn. Be
sure to be generous with the peanut sauce in assembling the quesadillas.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 4 chicken breasts, poached, roasted, or grilled
- 8 ounces jack cheese, shredded
- 8 ounces gouda cheese, shredded
- 1 cup scallions, finely chopped
- 2 red onions, sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- 8 flour tortillas
- Canola oil
Spicy Peanut Sauce
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 tablespoon ginger, sliced thin
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon nam pla (Thai fish sauce can be omitted)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 tablespoons water
Mango Salsa
- 2 ripe mangos, diced
- 1/2 red onion, diced
- 1 ripe tomato, seeded and diced
- 1/4 cup fresh coriander, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Prepare Spicy Peanut Sauce. Combine garlic and ginger in the small bowl
of a food processor, and pulse until chopped fine.
- Add the remaining ingredients
and process until creamy. Check seasonings and readjust per your taste. For
a thinner sauce, add water by the teaspoonsful until the desired consistency
is reached.
- Caramelize Onions: Melt butter in a large sauté pan in a large, heavy skillet
over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook until golden brown, approximately
20 minutes.
- Mix in scallions and set aside.
- Shred chicken breasts and place in medium size bowl.
- Add enough peanut sauce to coat.
- Add cilantro and mix lightly.
- Prepare quesadillas: In a large, heavy skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil
over medium heat until hot.
- Add one tortilla and immediately mound 2 ounces
jack cheese, 1/4 portion of chicken mixture and 1/4 portion of caramelized onions.
- Add 2 ounces of gouda cheese and top with second tortilla. With a spatula, check
the bottom tortilla and when crisp and golden brown, flip carefully.
- Remove from pan when cheese has melted.
- Keep warm in 200 degrees F oven on a large
baking sheet until the last quesadilla is finished.
- Serve with Mango Salsa and a crisp green salad with a simple vinaigrette.
- Mango Salsa: Combine all ingredients gently in a bowl. Taste and adjust
seasonings.
- Refrigerate at least 3 hours prior to serving, or overnight.
Yield: Approximately 1 1/2 cups salsa; approximately 1 cup peanut sauce