Recipe: Crab Quesadillas with Homemade Salsa and Guacamole (1980's)

CRAB QUESADILLAS

"These quesadillas feature not only the usual cheese but also crabmeat encased in flour tortillas. They are served with hot-pepper slices, spicy salsa, and rich, mellow guacamole."

6 ounces butter, divided use
12 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 pound fresh crabmeat
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 pound Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (about 4 cups)
FOR SERVING:
6 jalapeno chile peppers, cut into thin slices
Salsa
Guacamole

Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in frying pan over medium heat. Put 1 flour tortilla in the pan and sprinkle with 1/6 of the crabmeat. Season with salt and pepper and sprinkle with 1/6 of the cheese. Lay another tortilla on top and cook gently, turning once, until cheese begins to melt, about 5 minutes total. Repeat with remaining tortillas, melting 2 tablespoons of butter for each quesadilla.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Put 3 wedges on each plate and garnish with jalapenos, Salsa, and Guacamole.

SALSA

4 tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1/2 yellow onion
1/2 cup minced fresh coriander leaves
1 jalapeno chile or hot pepper
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Seed and chop the tomatoes. Mince the garlic, onion, and coriander. Seed and mince the jalapeno.

In a bowl, mix together tomatoes, garlic, onion, coriander, and jalape o, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Put half of the mixture in the bowl of a food processor and puree. Return pureed mixture to bowl with remaining salsa and blend well. This can be made a few hours ahead.

GUACAMOLE

1 fresh Italian plum tomato
1 jalapeno chile pepper (fresh or pickled)
1 lime
1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander leaves (optional)
1 avocado
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel, seed and mince the tomato. Mince the jalapeno. Squeeze 2 tablespoons juice from the lime. Chop the coriander. Peel the avocado.

In a bowl, mash avocado with a potato masher or a fork. It shouldn't be perfectly smooth. Combine avocado, tomato, jalapeno, juice, and coriander and season to taste with salt and pepper. Press plastic wrap on surface of guacamole if making ahead.

Makes 12 servings
Adapted from source: Cook's Magazine, November 1987