rivka

We tried a marvelous new recipe tonight: smoked salmon and apple quesadillas. They were delicious and very quick and easy to make.

The recipe is apparently originally from rec.food.recipes, but there are some formatting problems in the online version (12 cups of sour cream? For a dish that feeds four?) so I'm just going to reproduce the whole thing here, for my records.

Quesadilla filling (for two adults): I julienned 4oz smoked salmon (lox) and half a peeled and cored Granny Smith apple. I mixed these with 3/4 cup grated cheese (I used a pre-grated "Mexican blend" that I think was mostly Monterey Jack) and seasoned it with a generous amount of fresh dill and a splash of lime juice.

I melted a little butter and brushed the bottoms of two big tortillas with it. I split the filling evenly between the two tortillas, folded them over, and cooked them in my biggest skillet over medium heat for a few minutes on a side, until the inside was all melty.

We topped them with horseradish crema: I mixed together 1/4 cup each sour cream and mayonnaise, seasoned it with a tablespoon of horseradish, a tablespoon of fresh chives, and a splash of lemon juice, and thinned it with a tablespoon and a half of milk. This was easy enough to throw together while the quesadillas were cooking.

They were great. I wouldn't have thought of smoked salmon and apple, but it's a good combination. I don't think you'd want to use a sweet apple, but the tart crunchy Granny Smith bits were delightful. And the horseradish crema was delicious - I'm already thinking of other applications for it. (It would go well with asparagus or artichokes, I think.)

This would make a lovely entree for a summer brunch. Michael recommends a crisp, fruity white wine as an accompaniment for nonpregnant diners.