4.21.2011

Iron Chef Quesadillas


Leave it to Bobby Flay to come up with the most creatively delicious quesadilla. A meal at Mesa Grill--the renowned Southwestern hotspot of the Iron Chef--a few weeks ago inspired me to try his unique take on those "cheesy little things." When I saw the appetizer on the menu--Cremini Mushroom Quesadilla--I was sold before I read the rest of the description (anything with mushrooms stops me in my tracks). After reading what accompanied the 'shrooms--fontina, ricotta, fried egg and salsa verde--I was completely bent on trying it, intrigued by how that combination would dance on my tastebuds. As I anticipated, the appetizer was a gem and a prime example of Bobby's skill at creatively combining only the most essential ingredients to arrive at bold, complex flavors. The relatively short ingredient list, paired with the fact that I have never eaten a quesadilla with a fried egg on top of it, spurred me to mimic Flay's recipe so I could have it again at home...(later that night...) With the taste of the original still lingering in my mouth, I did my best to re-create the palatal magic of:

BOBBY FLAY'S CREMINI MUSHROOM QUESADILLAS

Ingredients;
2 whole wheat tortillas
Approx. 1/4 cup fontina cheese, shredded
baby bella (cremini) mushrooms
ricotta cheese
1 egg
____________

cilantro
olive oil
lime juice
cumin
*Note: I don't know exactly how Bobby made his salsa verde, but I remember tasting a lot of cilantro so I made it the base for my sauce. Also, this was an experimental dish and the measurements are not precise. Adjust to taste and preference. Makes one serving.

Directions:
1. In a food processor combine about 1/2 cup cilantro, 1/8-1/4 cup olive oil, 1/8 cup lime juice and 1/2 tsp cumin. Adjust to taste. Set aside.
2. Grate 1/4 cup fontina cheese and set aside.
3. Saute 1/2 cup baby bella mushrooms in a small pan until browned.
4. In a larger skillet heat one tortilla; sprinkle cheese and mushrooms evenly. Place second tortilla on top and press with another heavy skillet. Cook for a few minutes on one side, flip and cook an additional several minutes until each side of the tortilla is browned and the cheese is melted.
5. Meanwhile, crack one egg into the original small pan and let it cook until set.
6. Spread ricotta evenly over the quesedilla and top with the fried egg. Drizzle with the cilantro sauce. Thank Bobby for his genius.

2 comments:

  1. Very creative I must say! I have never tried a quesedilla with a fried egg on top either! Interesting.
    - Brittany

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  2. AnonymousMay 27, 2012

    This was absolutely delicious! I was looking for something different for a Sunday breakfast and found this and we loved it! I made a few modifications based on what I had on hand. I added red pepper to the mushroom mixture and used a ricotta/pepper jack mixture for the inside of the quesadilla (we didn't have any fontina on hand and had created this mixture yesterday for grilled stuffed peppers). Thank you so much for posting this recipe. This will definitely be added to the rotation :)

    -Emily
    oneingredientatatime.wordpress.com

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