Pass the Snacks

OK, I found this DRAFT of a post I wrote in February 2008...I guess it nver got published so here you go!

One of my favorite snacks is chicken quesadillas. Heck, most of the time we eat them as a meal. Now once again, this is something I usually TOTALLY wing but the last time I made them I did try to take measurements but I will admit, it still may be a little vague.

Chicken Quesadillas

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut in to strips (or chunks, whatever you like). You can also use chicken tenderloins
1 pablano pepper (or again, any pepper you like), cut into strips
1 medium onion, sliced
1-2 garlic cloves, just cracked and peeled
1 chipotle in adobo, seeded and finely minced along with maybe 1 tsp. of the adobo
The juice of 1 lime (this may depend how big and juicy your lime is...you want about 2 tbs.)
1/4 C canola oil
Tortillas is whatever size you prefer. I think I use fajita size and I buy whole wheat
Shredded Mexican Cheese
Nonstick cooking spray

Put the chicken, onion, and pepper in a Ziploc bag or shallow dish. Combine the rest of the ingredients and whisk together. Add the marinade to the chicken and veggies at let marinate at least 30 minutes but not more than an hour because of the lime juice.

Saute the chicken and veggies until the chicken is cooked through. I remove the garlic before cooking.

Now how you cook the quesadillas will vary. You can grill them, do them in a frying pan or my preferred method is the Foreman Grill. Oh, you could use a quesadilla maker, if you have one. I did try the skillet method and it was too complicated a messy. So what I go is heat up the Foreman, spray one tortilla with nonstick spray and put it (spray side down) on the bottom. I add some cheese, them some of the chicken and veggies and top with a little more cheese, making sure to get it around the edges to kind of seal it. Then I spray a second tortilla, put it on top and close the grill. They take anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on your grill. You want the tortillas to be browned and crispy. Take it off the grill, cut it into wedges and serve with whatever toppings you like. We like guacamole, pico de gallo and sour cream. My kids LOVE these.

Another family favorite is a dip served in a bread bowl. I got the recipe from my MIL spo I have no idea where it originated. I changed the original recipe so I'll post it the way I make it.

Dill Dip in a Bread Bowl

1 1/2 tbs. Beau Monde seasoning (this is made by Spice Island. If you can't find it, celery salt works great as a substitute)
2 tbs. dried onion flakes
2 tbs. dried dill weed
1 1/2 C sour cream (I use reduced fat)
1/2 C Mayo (again I use reduced fat. The original recipe called for 1 C each of mayo and sour cream but I thought that was too much mayo)
1 round loaf of bread with the center removed and chunks reserved,

Combines the herbs and spices with the sour cream and mayo. Let sit at least an hour in the fridge to combine. Spoon the dip into the hollowed out bowl and serve with the bread chunks for dipping.