Smoked Salmon Quesadillas - Pink Saturday

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a lovely, quick appetizer that has great eye appeal. While it's easy to prepare, it's stylish enough for guests and will be loved by family and friends alike. Many of you are familiar with a version of this appetizer that is served on thinly sliced rye bread. I use fried flour tortillas to make mine. The base recipe uses goat cheese as a pillow for thinly sliced smoked salmon. Whipped cream cheese or mascarpone can be substituted for the chevre and herbs other than dill can also be used. This is one of my favorite informal appetizers and I make it a point to keep the ingredients need to make it on hand. Smoked salmon is plentiful here in the Pacific Northwest and it is slightly less expensive than in other areas of the country. Folks with a fisherman in the neighborhood are luckier still, as the bounty of our rivers is often shared. It takes about 15 minutes to make this dish. If you try it, I think you'll agree that it is time well spent. Here's the recipe.

Smoked Salmon Quesadillas...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite

Ingredients:
3 ounces chevre or whipped cream cheese
1 tablespoon well-drained prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon fresh dill or chives
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons olive oil
3 (7-inch) flour tortillas
4 to 6 ounces smoked salmon
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Directions:
1) Combine cheese, horseradish, and 1 teaspoon dill or chives in a small bowl. Beat with a spoon until smooth and well-blended. Blend in salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
2) Heat oil in an 8-inch skillet set over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Fry tortillas, one at a time, until both sides are lightly brown, about 2 minutes. Drain on paper towels.
3) Spread 3 generous teaspoons of cheese mixture on each tortilla. Arrange smoked salmon slices over over cheese. Sprinkle with 1 tablespoon reserved dill or chives. Drizzle with fresh lemon juice. Cut each tortilla into six pieces and serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings.

You might also enjoy these recipes:
Ravioli with Smoked Salmon and Vodka Cream Sauce - One Perfect Bite
Smoked Salmon Frittata - One Perfect Bite
Salmon Burgers with Chipotle Aioli and Pineapple Avocado Salsa
Buckwheat Blinis with Smoked Salmon and Creme Fraiche - The Recipe Girl
Smoked Salmon Chowder - Mennonite Girls Can Cook
Smoked Salmon Costini - Yum Sugar

This post is being linked to:
Pink Saturday, sponsored by Beverly at How Sweet the Sound.

Tortilla Soup

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...Our weather turned damp and chilly again today. As luck would have it, Bob and I were walking along the river when it began to pour. We were at the mid-point of the trail, so our options were limited and the only certainty was we'd be drenched before we got back to the car. Spring comes early to Oregon. I retire my winter recipes and restock the pantry and freezer at the end of February and move on to lighter and more colorful meals. Days like this one make me wish I still had a soup or stew hidden away. What I did have were the ingredients for a wonderful tortilla soup developed, years ago, by Martha Holmberg for Fine Cooking magazine. The soup is wonderfully warm and filling, but the spice level is very low. If you like your tortilla soup hot and spicy, you'll have to add more chili powder or use one that has more heat. The broth that is poured over the ingredients must be very hot in order to warm them. While the recipe is scaled to feed two, it can easily be doubled or tripled to feed a crowd. You can also swap beef for the chicken that's used in the soup. It does not keep well, so don't make more than can be eaten in one meal. Here's the recipe.

Chicken and Tortilla Soup...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, courtesy of Martha Holmberg and Fine Cooking magazine

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus another 1/2 to 1 cup for frying tortillas
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (from about 1/2 small onion)
1 tablespoon chili powder; more to taste
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt to taste
4 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth
Fresh cilantro: six 2-inch stems for the broth, plus 1/4 cup roughly chopped leaves for garnish
4 fresh corn tortillas, 6 inches across, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1/2 cup corn kernels (canned is fine)
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup diced fresh tomato
For the garnish:
1 ripe avocado, diced and tossed with a squeeze of lime juice
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or ricotta salata
2 dollops sour cream
Lime wedges for serving

Directions:
1) Place 1 tablespoon oil in a large saucepan or small soup pot, add onion, and cook over medium heat until onion has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add chili powder and tomato paste and stir with a wooden spoon to mix and cook briefly; take care not to let the chili powder scorch.
2) Season chicken thighs lightly with salt and put them in skillet with chile paste, turning them once so they’re entirely coated. Add 1/2 cup broth and bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook chicken, turning once, until it’s extremely tender when pierced with a knife, about 20 to 30 minutes. Add more broth if pan dries out.
Remove chicken from pan and allow it to cool slightly before shredding into bite size pieces. Set aside.
3) Remove any visible grease from pan before adding remaining broth and cilantro stems. Simmer, uncovered, until broth has reduced by about one-third and is quite flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes.
4) Meanwhile, fry the tortillas: Line a plate with two layers of paper towels. Fill a small, high-sided saucepan with enough oil to come to about a 1-inch depth. Heat oil over medium heat to 375 degrees F. Add six to eight strips of tortilla. With tongs or a long fork, "scrunch" them for a second or two so they take on a wavy shape. Fry until strips are golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to paper towels. Repeat with remaining strips.
5) Divide shredded chicken, corn, black beans, tomato, and tortilla strips between two large soup or pasta bowls. Pour hot broth over ingredients in bowls. Serve immediately. Pass avocado, cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro and lime at the table. Yield: 2 servings.

You might also like these recipes:
Creamy Broccoli and Cheddar Cheese Soup - One Perfect Bite
Chilled Avocado Soup - One Perfect Bite
Thai Fresh Pea Soup with Green Curry - One Perfect Bite
Mexican Chicken Soup - Randomosity and the Girl
Mexican Tortilla and Lime Soup - The Perfect Pantry
Posole - Spain in Iowa

Tortilla Espanola

I've found some old meatless recipes that are wonderful for the Lenten season. Today's oldie is a delicious potato frittata, an entree of Spanish origin, that's good for brunch or dinner. I like to serve it with an avocado, orange and almond salad that also comes from Spanish peasant kitchens. The two make a lovely and complete meal when combined with a Spanish bread such as Pan Galllego. A real Tortilla Espanola is made with lots and lots of oil. It's absolutely delicious. I know many of you won't try a recipe that calls for almost 2 cups of oil, so I'm going to present two versions of the tortilla. One, of course, is the real thing; the other is a low fat version that's not a bad substitute. I must admit to some prejudice here. I have no problems with most "light" recipes. A lot of time and money has been spent to make them acceptable substitutes for their more calorific cousins. I've learned, however, that my family is fine with "light" recipes only if they've never had the real thing. This recipe in not in my standard rotation because I'd rather have the frittata once a year in all its awful splendor than its substitute once a month. I'll let you take your pick. One is great, the other good.

Tortilla Espanola

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/8-inch slices
2-1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided use
1/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1-3/4 cups canola oil
1 pound yellow onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
6 large eggs

Directions:
1) Place potatoes in a bowl and toss with 2 teaspoons salt. Set aside.
2) Place oil in a 10-inch skillet with high sides. Heat oil until very hot. Slip potatoes into oil and cook, turning occasionally, until potatoes are tender but not brown, about 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer potatoes to a colander that has been set over a bowl. Let potatoes drain.
3) Add onions and garlic to oil. Cook until onions are soft and translucent but not brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer to colander and allow to drain.
4) Drain all but 1 tablespoon of oil from skillet.
5) Add eggs to a large bowl. Beat with 1/4 teaspoon salt until blended. Add potato mixture from colander to eggs. Mix gently to combine.
6) Heat oil remaining in skillet over medium-high heat. Add egg mixture and spread evenly. Cook for 1 minute, then lower heat to medium-low and cook until eggs are completely set around edges and tortilla moves easily in pan , about 10 minutes. Carefully flip the tortilla onto a flat plate. Return tortilla to pan, cooked side up, and cook until a knife inserted in center comes out clean and hot, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate. Let rest for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges or small squares. Serve warm or at room temperature. Yield: 4 main course or 12 appetizer servings.

Reduced-Fat Tortilla Espanola

Ingredients:
2 pounds Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced and cut in 1/8-inch slices
2-1/4 teaspoons Kosher salt, divided use
1/4 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
4 tablespoons canola oil, divided use
1 pound yellow onions, peeled and chopped
6 cloves fresh garlic, coarsely chopped
1-1/2 cups egg substitute

Directions:
1) Place potatoes, 2 teaspoons salt, pepper, 3 tablespoons oil, onions and garlic in a large (12-inch) microwave container. Toss to combine. Cover. Microwave on High power for 10 to 15 minutes, turning at 5 minute intervals until potatoes are just tender. Remove. Drain. Set aside to cook slightly.
2) Place egg substitute in a bowl; mix with reserved 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add drained potato mixture. Mix gently to combine.
3) Add reserved 1 tablespoon oil to a 10-inch skillet with high sides. Heat on medium-high until very hot. Pour in egg mixture; spread until smooth. Cook for 1 minute. Lower heat to medium-low and continue to cook until eggs are set at edges and mixture firms and moves easily in pan, about 10 minutes. Carefully flip tortilla onto a flat plate. Return to pan, cooked side up, and continue cooking until knife inserted in center of tortilla comes out clean and hot. Transfer to a serving platter. Let sit for 10 minutes. Cut into wedges or small squares. Yield: 4 main course or 12 appetizer servings.





This entry is being sent to the Potato Ho Down for March. The event is sponsored by Cathy at Noble Pig. It is hosted this month by Krysta of Evil Chef Mom fame.