Pasquals Cilantro Pesto Quesadillas Recipes

FABULOUS CILANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta, and return water to a boil. Cook pasta for 8 to 10 minutes, or until al dente; drain well.
• In an electric food processor or blender, blend cilantro, garlic, vinegar, Parmesan cheese, cayenne pepper, nuts, and salt. Add 1/4 cup of the olive oil, and blend the pesto. Add more olive oil until the pesto reaches your desired consistency.
• Pour pesto in a small saucepan and warm over low heat, stirring constantly, until pesto begins to simmer. Pour over cooked pasta and toss.

CULANTRO PESTO

Steps:

• Combine the garlic, salt, pepper to taste, and pine nuts in a food processor. Add the oil and culantro and process until smooth. Add the cheese and pulse to incorporate. Store in an airtight container until ready to use, up to 1 week in the refrigerator or 4 months in the freezer.

SHRIMP AND CILANTRO PESTO QUESADILLA

Steps:

• Make the cilantro pesto: in a food processor, blend all of the ingredients except for the olive oil. While the processor is running, slowly add the olive oil. Cover the pesto and refrigerate. (Will keep in the fridge for 2 to 3 days)Preheat oven to 450*F.
• Place two tortillas on an undgreased baking sheet.
• Sprread each with 2 TBS of the pesto and sprinkle with the cheeses. Season with salt and pepper.
• Stack one tortilla on top of the other and cover with the remaining tortilla. Brush the top with 1 TBs of olive oil and sprinkle evenly with the ancho powder.
• Bake until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the cheese has melted, 8 to 12 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 TBs of olive oil. Season the shrimp and saute for 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
• Cut the quesadillas into quarters. Garnish with the remaining tablespoon of pesto, the shrimp and the sour cream and serve hot.

SHRIMP AND CILANTRO PESTO QUESADILLA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste. In a small skillet over medium heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and saute the shrimp for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Reserve for garnish.
• Place 2 tortillas on an ungreased baking sheet, sprinkle half the cheeses and 1 1/2 tablespoons pesto on each, and season, to taste, with salt and pepper. Stack the 2 layers and cover with the remaining tortilla. Brush with 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle evenly with ancho chile powder. May be prepared 1 day ahead up to this point and refrigerated. Bake for 8 to 12 minutes or until the tortillas are slightly crisp and the cheese has melted.
• Cut into quarters and serve hot, garnished with the shrimp, more pesto, and sour cream.
• In a food processor, combine cilantro, garlic, pumpkinseeds, lime juice, salt and pepper. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil until sauce is emulsified. May be prepared up to 2 days ahead, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.
• Yield: 1 cup

TOPLESS CRISPY QUESADILLA WITH CILANTRO PESTO AND MANGO MOJO ON A BED OF GREENS

Steps:

• Pesto:
• Roughly chop the cilantro, making sure not to get too much of the stem. Place it in the bowl of a food processor along with the garlic, crushed red pepper, and coriander. With the processor running, add the oil in a slow stream. Let the processor run for about 30 seconds. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse to combine. Set aside.
• Vinaigrette:
• Pour the lime juice into the cleaned bowl of the processor. Add the Cilantro Pesto and, with the processor running, add the oil in a slow stream. Process until the vinaigrette emulsifies. Add salt and pepper, to taste, and pulse. Set aside.
• Mojo:
• Place all the ingredients into the cleaned bowl of the processor and run until smooth. Set aside.
• Assembly:
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Spread a generous amount of pesto on each of the 4 tortillas, making sure that you spread the pesto almost to the edge of each tortilla. Shred a generous amount of the queso onto each tortilla. Spray a small saute pan with cooking spray and set it over moderately high heat for 2 minutes (you want to make sure the pan is very hot). Place 1 tortilla, cheese side up, into the pan and cook, shaking occasionally, for 1 minute. Transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other 3 tortillas. Place the baking sheet in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes.
• As the quesadillas are cooking, toss the lettuces together in a large bowl with 1/2 of the vinaigrette (reserve the rest for pork loin dish). Mound the salad onto 4 plates. Remove the quesadillas from the oven, allow to cool for a few minutes, and slice each into 4 pieces. Surround the salad with the 4 slices and drizzle with the Mango Mojo. Serve immediately.

CAFE PASQUAL'S CILANTRO RICE

Steps:

• Bring rice, water & 1 teaspoon salt to a boil. Reduce heat, cover pan & simmer 20 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Remove lid & fluff with a fork.
• While rice is cooking, using a blender, puree cilantro, onion, scallion, jalapeno, lime juice, olive oil & remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. (If needed, can add 1-2 tablespoons water to get a smooth puree.).
• Add mixture to rice & stir with a fork till well blended.

PASQUAL'S CILANTRO PESTO QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• In a glass bowl, stir together the olive oil, lime juice, and marjoram. Add the chicken strips and toss to coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the refigerator for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours.
• To prepare pesto, put all of the ingredients in a blender of in a food processor fitted with the metal blade and process until smooth. You may prepare this pesto up to 2 hours before serving, but do not expect it to keep overnight, as cilantro is fragile and its color changes and flavor fades within hours. Pesto ingredients are from cilantro thru pepper.
• Prepare the grill, place chicken in grill basket.
• Heat oven to 250
• Remove the chicken from the marinade and place on the grill rack about 6 inches above medium-hot heat. Grill quickly, turning once, until done, 1-3 minutes on each side. Remove to a dish and cover to keep warm.
• To cook the quesadillas, put the butter in a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter sizzles, put in 1 tortilla, let it crisp on one side, about 2 minutes, and then turn it over. Spoon 2 tablespoons of the pesto, 3 tablespoons of the cheese, and one fourth of the chicken onto one half of the tortilla, then fold over the other half to cover the filling. Continue cooking the quesadilla until crisp and the cheese melts, about 5 more minutes. Remove the quesadilla to the warm oven to hold while you good the others.
• Serve piping hot with salsa on the side, if desired.