Chicken Quesadilla

When your mom goes out of town you ask: But what’s there to eat? She will always answer: Make yourself a dang chicken quesadilla!

This will also be the answer if you are cruising on your boat. While we can guarantee that you’ll like this meal, the same can not be said for Tina.

Spice Mixture:

1 tsp. each ground cumin, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, onion powder, and paprika
½ tsp. dried oregano

Quesadilla Ingredients:

1¼ lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs (beef or shrimp is good, too)
3 cups sliced bell peppers
2 cups sliced onions
8 flour tortillas (10-inch)
16 oz. shredded cheese
Sour cream and salsa, to serve

Directions for Chicken Quesadillas:

Heat grill to high (meat, veggies, and quesadillas can also be heated on the stovetop or baked in an oven at 375°F).

Combine ingredients for spice mixture in a bowl. Sprinkle half mixture on chicken and cook on the grill for 6 minutes. Mix remaining spice with veggies, flip chicken and add veggies to grill; cook about 5-6 minutes.

Transfer cooked veggies to a bowl, and let chicken rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes. Lower grill temperature and cook tortillas until lightly browned on each side. Remove from heat and assemble chicken quesadillas.

Slice chicken thinly, place one tortilla on plate and top with cheese, chicken, peppers, onions, and 2 additional tablespoons of cheese. Top with another tortilla. Repeat to make four quesadillas and place back of a medium-low grill for 5-10 minutes until cheese is melted.

Cut into 6 pieces and eat like a pizza, dipping in salsa and sour cream.

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2019

More Mexican-Inspired recipes:

Mexican Street Corn

Avocado Salad

Creamy Fruit Cocktail

Frozen Margaritas

Creamy Fruit Cocktail

In Spanish, this tasty and vaguely healthy creamy fruit cocktail dessert is called ‘bionico’.

We just call it damn good instead.

We also learned from a food blogger a little bit of the history behind the dish. According to Erika of Nibbles and Feasts, “A bionico or a bionic in English, is a common energy snack enjoyed in between meals. Many people with physically enduring days add granola and popped amaranth for a source of protein and added energy. It’s a better-for-you treat. Way better than the store bought granola or protein bar because it has all the benefits of fresh fruit and dairy.”

It serves as a dessert here for all intents and purposes. Forgive us, Ericka.

Ingredients:

4 cups diced fruit (strawberries, apples, mango, pineapple, melon)
1/3 cup each of sour cream, plain yogurt
and sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp. vanilla
½ cup granola with nuts, raisins, and coconut
2 Tbsp. honey

Directions:

Mix fruit in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix sour cream, yogurt, vanilla, and condensed milk. Add 2 tablespoons of the cream mixture to 4 dessert bowls, and top each with 1 cup fruit, 2 tablespoons granola and a ½ tablespoon of honey.

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2019

More Mexican-Inspired recipes:

Mexican Street Corn

Este maíz de calle mexicano es una fiesta en tu boca. Te prometemos que te encantará. Además, es bastante fácil de preparar en su barco.

For you gringos out there, that translates to: This Mexican street corn is a party in your mouth. We promise you’ll love it. Plus, it’s easy enough to prepare on your boat.

Ingredients

4 ears corn, husked
2 Tbsp. olive oil
½ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp. chili powder
1 tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp. pepper
1 cup crumbled cotija or feta or grated
Parmesan cheese
1 lime, quartered

Directions

Heat grill to medium. Rub corn with oil, place on grill (or roast at 400°F in oven for 30-40 minutes) and turn so all sides are charred (about 10 minutes).

Combine remaining ingredients except for cheese and lime. Remove corn from grill. When cooled, brush with mayonnaise mixture and roll in cheese for authentic Mexican Street Corn.

Squeeze limes over corn.

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2019

More Mexican-Inspired recipes:

Avocado Salad

Creamy Fruit Cocktail

Chicken Quesadillas

Frozen Margaritas

Avocado Salad

You heard it here first, folks. Avocado salad.

From the millennials who brought you avocado toast (and killed Applebees, diamonds, home ownership, can openers, cereal, credit cards, Bud Light and taxis) comes avocado salad. This salad is quick, easy and rather tasty.

Ingredients

4 cups of diced tomatoes
4 cups diced avocado
1 cup sliced onion
2 cups arugula or other greens
Cumin vinaigrette (follows)

Directions

Gently mix tomatoes, avocados, and onions, and drizzle with cumin vinaigrette.

Serve on a bed of arugula.

Cumin Vinaigrette Ingredients

Combine to top off the avocado salad.

4 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. vinegar
½ tsp. ground cumin
¼ cup chopped cilantro
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ tsp. each salt and pepper

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating June 2019

More Mexican-Inspired recipes:

Mexican Street Corn

Creamy Fruit Cocktail

Chicken Quesadillas

Frozen Margaritas

Father’s Day Menu

Feliz Día del Padre!

For Father’s Day, celebrate the dads in your life with a zesty Tex-Mex menu! All recipes serve four.

Steak Fajitas

½ cup Mexican or other beer
½ cup lime juice
2 tsp. chili powder
½ tsp. salt and pepper
2 lbs. skirt steaks (may also use chicken, shrimp or pork tenderloin)
2 large sweet peppers
1 large onion
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
12 foil-wrapped, ﬂour tortillas (warm) Optional extras: shredded cheddar, chopped scallions, sour cream, hot sauce, avocado

Mix ﬁrst four ingredients and marinate the steak for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the peppers into 1/2-inch-wide strips; cut the onion in half and then into thin slices. Place vegetables into a bowl and mix in 1 tablespoon of olive oil and garlic.

Add the other tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet and heat for a few seconds. Add peppers and onions, and let them cook undisturbed for 2 minutes, then stir and cook for two more minutes. Repeat until vegetables are softened and charred in spots. Grill steak to desired wellness.

Let rest for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain. Serve with onions and peppers, warm tortillas and accompaniments.

Mexican Street Corn Salad

2 Tbsp. oil
5 cups sweet corn
2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. chili powder
¼ cup queso fresco, cotija or feta cheese, crumbled
2 Tbsp. lime juice Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add corn and cook, stirring occasionally 4-6 minutes until corn is charred. Turn off heat. Add remaining ingredients, mix well and serve. Rapido Guacamole 2 ripe avocados,

Rapido Guacamole

2 ripe avocados, mashed
¼ cup of your favorite salsa
½ tsp. each, salt and pepper
1 Tbsp. lime juice

Mix all ingredients, spoon into a festive dish and serve with salted tortilla chips.

Michelada

½ tsp. chili powder
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 lime, quartered
2 ½ cups tomato juice
½ cup lime juice
¼ cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
¾ tsp. black pepper
4 dashes of hot sauce (optional)
4 lager beers

Pour chili powder and 1 teaspoon of salt on a plate; mix evenly. Moisten the rims of 4 glasses with a lime wedge, then dip each in chili-salt mixture. Add a few ice cubes to each glass. Mix the next six ingredients with the remainder of salt in a pitcher. Pour equal amounts into the glasses, top with beer and serve.

Chocolate Cayenne Cake

½ cup butter, plus more for greasing pan
1 cup cocoa powder, plus more for coating pan
1 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
¼ tsp. salt
½ tsp. cayenne pepper
3 eggs, beaten
¼ cup powdered sugar

Preheat oven to 300˚F. Grease an 8-inch round cake pan with butter and dust with cocoa powder. In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, salt, cayenne pepper, then eggs. Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 minutes. Let pan cool for 10 minutes, then carefully turn the cake onto a plate. Dust with powdered sugar.