Papaya is a tropical treat with substantial health benefits. It is rich in vitamin C, and lycopene, which may help boost the immune system and aid the body in fending off cancer.
This week’s recipe for Brie and Papaya Quesadillas melds the soft sweetness of papaya with the bite of poblano chiles and the mellow creaminess of brie. It was sent to CCSA as part of a series of emails from our resident chef, Dr. Linda Doody. She began sharing her extensive collection of favorite recipes with friends, family, and the CCSA team as a means of maintaining connections during the COVID-19 pandemic and it has since become a company tradition.
When baking, follow directions. When cooking, go by your own taste.
– Laiko Bahrs.
Brie And Papaya Quesadillas
Brie And Papaya Quesadillas
(Anne Lindsay Greer, Dallas, Texas)
Southwest Tastes, Ellen Brown (1987)
Notes
Great Chefs was a franchise of 656 televised cooking shows (and 13 companion cookbooks) originally produced for PBS that ran from 1982–1998. The programs were recorded entirely on location in professional restaurant kitchens and featured over 1,008 chefs in 51 countries, including Alain Passard in Paris, Bobby Flay, Daniel Boulud and Eric Ripert in New York, Patrick O'Connell (The Inn at Little Washington) outside DC, Emeril Lagasse and Susan Spicer in New Orleans, and Albert Roux in London. The series began with Great Chefs of New Orleans and later included Great Chefs of San Francisco, Great Chefs of Chicago, and Great Chefs of the West. There is a website (https://greatchefs.com/) that has continued the mission where you can find an archive of cooking technique videos from classically trained chefs (designated by their peers as Great Chefs), together with their biographies, restaurants, dishes, and recipes.
Ingredients
- Quesadillas
- ½ cup water
- ½ yellow onion, thinly sliced and slices halved
- 10 flour tortillas
- 1 pound brie or camembert cheese, cut into ¼-inch strips
- 2 fresh poblano chiles, roasted, peeled and diced (Roast the chiles over an open flame on the top of a gas stove or under the broiler. Turn them as they cook, letting them char evenly. Remove the chiles to a paper or plastic bag. Seal and leave to steam for at least 30 minutes; the steam will separate the skin from the flesh of the chiles. Peel and discard the charred skin, then remove the stems and seeds. Rinse the remaining charred material from the flesh under running water)
- 1 ripe papaya, peeled, seeded, and diced (Mango or seedless grapes can be substituted)
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- 4 Tbsp oil
- Jicama Salad
- 1 small jicama, peeled (Jicama (also known as Mexican yam bean or Mexican turnip) is a beet-shaped root vegetable with a brown fibrous covering and crunchy white interior. Make sure to select jicama that are fresh and not woody)
- 1 small red bell pepper
- 1 small yellow bell pepper
- I carrot
- 1 small zucchini
- 6 Tbsp peanut oil
- 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
- Salt and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
- Quesadillas
- Heat the water in a medium skillet over high heat. Add the onion, remove from the heat, and let stand until the slices are wilted, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside.
- Heat a nonstick or well-seasoned skillet over medium heat for several minutes. When the skillet is hot, soften the tortillas by placing them in the skillet for about 15 minutes on a side.
- To make quesadillas, put a few strips of cheese on half of each tortilla. Add several onion slices and 1 Tbsp of the diced chiles and papaya. Fold the tortillas over and brush with a mixture of the melted butter and oil.
- Preheat the oven to 200°F. Heat a skillet over medium heat and brown the quesadillas on both sides. Place on a cookie sheet in the oven to keep warm while browning the remaining quesadillas. When ready to serve, cut each into 3 triangular wedges and serve with Jicama Salad as an appetizer. To make ahead, refrigerate the filled quesadillas covered with plastic wrap for a day. Bring them to room temperature before grilling and serving.
- Jicama Salad (Lydia Shire, Beverly Hills, CA)
- Cut the jicama, peppers, and carrot into fine julienne. Peel the zucchini and cut the peel into fine julienne, reserving the flesh for another use. Mix the oil, lime juice, salt, and cayenne pepper, and toss the dressing with the salad. Refrigerate until ready to serve.