Round 2 Recipe Cajun Quesadillas

ROUND 2 RECIPE -THANKSGIVING QUESADILLA WITH CRANBERRY CREAM DIPPING SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium heat.
• Put 1 flour tortilla into the pan. Cover with half of the cheese, then a layer of turkey, a layer of stuffing. Top with the remaining cheese and cover with another tortilla. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes and flip. To flip, put a large plate on top of the quesadilla in the pan. Put your palm on the plate and flip the pan upside down. Put the pan back on the stove and slide the quesadilla back into the pan. Cook until the cheese is melted, another 3 to 4 minutes.
• Stir together the sour cream and cranberry sauce in a small serving bowl.
• Cut the quesadilla into 8 wedges, transfer to a serving platter and serve with cranberry sour cream.
• Brine:
• In a large pot with a lid that is big enough to fit the turkey, add all but 2 cups apple cider and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add the salt, 3 sprigs of thyme, 3 sprigs rosemary and stir to dissolve the salt. Remove from the heat, add 5 cups of ice, 6 cups water and stir. Put the turkey in the pot with the brine and hold it down so that the cavity fills with the brine. If the turkey is not completely submerged in the brine, add another 2 to 3 cups of water to the pot until covered. Cover the pot with a lid and refrigerate overnight or up to 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Remove the turkey from the brine, rinse and pat dry. Arrange it, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Stuff the remaining thyme and the bunch of sage into the cavity and tuck the wings back underneath the bottom of the breast. Tie the legs together with a piece of butcher's twine.
• In a small bowl combine the canola oil, poultry seasoning and pepper. Brush the turkey liberally until completely coated. Put in the oven and roast until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours. About 30 minutes before the turkey is done, liberally baste the bird with the cider glaze. Baste with the remaining glaze 2 more times at 10 minute intervals. Remove from the oven and let rest at least 15 minutes before carving. Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
• Glaze:
• In a small saucepan combine the reserved 2 cups of apple cider and 1/4 cup of brown sugar. Simmer until reduced to about 1/2 cup.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray.
• Remove the mushroom caps from the stems. Reserve the caps for the online round 2 recipe Stuffed Mushrooms. Roughly chop the stems and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the canola oil. Stir in the onions and celery and cook until softened slightly, about 2 minutes. Add the mushroom stems and herbs and continue to cook until the mushrooms are browned and the vegetables are slightly tender, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the eggs and chicken broth in a large bowl. Add the cubed bread and toss to coat all of the bread. Stir in the cooked onions and mushroom mixture and toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Transfer to the baking dish and bake, covered loosely with foil, for 40 to 50 minutes. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes of cooking time to brown the top. Remove from the oven and serve.
• Use the leftovers from this recipe to make quesadillas and stuffed mushrooms.

ONLINE ROUND 2 RECIPE - CAJUN RED BEAN AND RICE SOUP

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the broth, Cajun seasoning, and hot sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the jambalaya and beans and cook until hot, about 5 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve, garnished with scallions.

(WEB EXCLUSIVE) ROUND 2 RECIPE: BEAN CHILI QUESADILLA

Steps:

• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Place 1 tortilla onto a clean work surface. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of the cheese. Top with 1/2 cup of the bean chili and sprinkle with 2 more tablespoons of the cheese. Put another flour tortilla on top and carefully place in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes until tortilla is slightly browned and cheese starts to melt. Flip and cook for another 3 minutes on the other side. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Transfer quesadillas to a cutting board. Cut into wedges and serve with sour cream or salsa.
• In a large saucepan over low heat stir together the barbeque sauce, beans, chili seasoning, brown sugar, and mustard. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 10 to 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• Meanwhile, set up grill or indoor grill pan for direct cooking over medium heat. When ready to start cooking oil the grate. Place hot dogs on the hot, oiled grill. Cook for 10 minutes or until heated through, turning occasionally. Toast buns on grill, if desired. Place hot dogs in buns and top with chili. Serve hot with chopped white onions.

ROUND 2 RECIPE: CAJUN DIRTY RICE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons of canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes, and let it infuse in the oil for 15 to 20 seconds. Add the leftover white rice, flaked catfish fillet, sauteed vegetables, Cajun seasoning, and the kidney beans. Stir to combine and cook until the mixture is heated through, about 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper, if desired.
• Transfer to a serving platter and serve.
• In a large pot, bring 5 1/4 cups of water to a boil over medium heat. Add the rice, turn the heat down to low and simmer until rice has absorbed all the water and is light and fluffy, about 15 to 20 minutes. Reserve 3 cups of cooked rice for round 2 recipe: Cajun Dirty Rice. Transfer the rice to a serving bowl and set aside.
• In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of canola oil. Add the celery, green pepper, onion, garlic, and season with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. Saute until slightly tender about 5 minutes. Add the fresh lemon juice and chopped parsley and cook for another minute. Reserve 1 cup of the sauteed vegetables for round 2 recipe: Cajun Dirty Rice. Transfer the vegetables to a serving bowl and set aside.
• While the vegetables are sauteing, heat a cast iron skillet or griddle over high heat. Brush the catfish with the remaining canola oil and then sprinkle both sides with Cajun seasoning. Place the catfish onto into the hot pan and cook, about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
• Arrange the catfish on a serving platter and serve with rice and sauteed vegetables.

SHRIMP QUESADILLAS WITH CAJUN REMOULADE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
• Make cajun remoulade by mixing mayonnaise with 2 Tbsp.
• cajun seasoning, Worcester sauce, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, and Tabasco.
• Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1 Tbsp.
• olive oil in skillet over high heat, 2 minutes.
• Toss shrimp with 1 tsp.
• of cajun seasoning and salt.
• Cook for 3 minutes.
• Transfer to large bowl.
• Add chiles and cilantro to shrimp and mix.
• Brush a large cookie sheet with olive oil.
• Arrange 1 tortilla on cookie sheet.
• Top with 1/2 of cheese and shrimp mixture.
• Place another tortilla on top of that.
• Brush lightly with olive oil.
• Bake 8 minutes, until lightly browned.
• Repeat with the remaining tortillas and mixture.
• Cut quesadilla into wedges and serve with the remoulade.

QUESADILLAS FOR ONE OR TWO

Steps:

• Brush pan with oil and heat.
• Place tortilla in pan and heat on one side.
• Turn tortilla over and sprinkle with cheese, tomato and chile pepper.
• Cook until cheese melts.
• Remove tortilla to plate.
• top with guacamole or salsa if desired.
• Any one or more of the variations ingredients can be added.
• Fold in half, cut into quarters and serve hot.

2 MINUTE CHEESE QUESADILLAS

Steps:

• Place 1 flour tortilla on a large microwave-safe plate; sprinkle with Cheddar cheese. Place the second flour tortilla atop the Cheddar layer.
• Cook on high in the microwave until cheese is melted, about 1 minute.

FRIED QUESADILLAS WITH TWO FILLINGS

Steps:

• Make mushroom filling:
• Cook onion in butter in a medium nonstick skillet over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened.
• Pulse mushrooms in a food processor until coarsely chopped and add to onion along with epazote and salt.
• Cook over moderate heat, stirring, until mushrooms are softened and any liquid is evaporated, about 7 minutes. Remove from heat and cool filling completely.
• Make masa and form quesadillas:
• Stir together masa harina, salt, and warm water in a large bowl with a wooden spoon until it forms a dough. Knead dough in bowl with heel of your hand 1 to 2 minutes.
• Pinch off small pieces of dough and roll into about 40 (scant 1-inch) balls. Transfer balls as formed to a plastic-wrap-lined tray and cover with more plastic wrap.
• Cut 2 (5-inch) squares from a small plastic bag and use 1 to line lower half of tortilla press. Put a ball of dough in tortilla press and top with second square of plastic. Close tortilla press, pushing gently on lever to flatten dough to a 2 1/2- to 3-inch round. If press doesn't flatten evenly, rotate tortilla 180 degrees and gently flatten again. (Alternatively, use rolling pin to flatten dough between squares of plastic.)
• Remove top square of plastic and put 1 teaspoon mushroom filling, or about 1 teaspoon crumbled queso fresco with 1/2 teaspoon crema and a piece of squash blossom, in center of round.
• Fold round, still in plastic, over filling to form a half-moon and pinch edges together to seal. Gently peel off plastic, then transfer quesadilla to another plastic-wrap-lined tray and cover with a second sheet of plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining dough, making about 20 quesadillas of each filling.
• Fry quesadillas:
• Heat 1 inch of oil in a deep 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until deep-fat thermometer registers 375°F, then deep-fry quesadillas in batches of 6 to 8, turning once or twice, until golden, about 4 minutes. Transfer with a slotted spoon to paper towels to drain and return oil to 375°F before adding next batch.
• Serve quesadillas immediately.