I once took a painting course. I thought I would be good at painting.
I’m creative in the kitchen, so of course I would be creative on a canvas.
I learned something about painting…it’s harder than it looks.
I learned something about me…I’m not very patient.
This was my painting…it was supposed to be a painting of a bunch of asparagus. I was using a black and white photograph of asparagus that I liked as a guide for my painting. I think that was my first mistake.
Anyhoo, long story short, I got to this stage (where a bunch of asparagus look like a bunch of hyacinth flowers). I had no idea how this was going to eventually look like asparagus. Soooo, this is how it has stayed….for 2 1/2 years.
I might go back to it and finish it…maybe one day.
But you know what came out of that day? Awesome quesedillas.
I know – weird, right?
Well, Odette, my friend who hosted the painting party, served these great quesadillas. I never asked her for the recipe but I remember that the flavours were exceptional! If I were asked to recreate them, this would be my best guess.
A few good things happened that day. I learned that I am not a patient painter. I learned that I will always respect people who are paid to be creative at the drop of a hat. I learned that brie/chicken/cilantro/mango is a superb food combination. Aand, I learned that painting on a friend’s porch on a beautiful summer day with yummy nibbles and lots of wine is a pretty darn good way to spend the afternoon!
Ingredients:
1 pkg small flour tortillas (10 pack)
1 medium wheel of brie
about 3-4 c cooked chicken, shredded
Salsa:
2 mangoes, cubed (look at this post to see how to cube a mango)
1/2 small red onion, diced
1/3 c cilantro, chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 tbsp olive oil
Condiments:
Guacamole (homemade or store bought), optional
Sour cream, optional
1. Get out your tortillas and lay them flat.
2. Slice your brie (about 1/2″ thick slices)and lay them on the bottom of 5 tortillas…you’ll need the other 5 for lids!
3. Place a generous amount (see picture above – about 1/2 per tortilla) of shredded chicken on top of each brie topped tortilla; set aside
4. In a small bowl, combine cubed mangoes, red onion, cilantro, oil and lime juice/zest.
5. Stir the mango salsa to combine.
6. Place a heaping tablespoon of salsa over the chicken and top with the tortilla lid; brown in a hot pan and flip over doing the same on the other side (you can also use a panini press or even a waffle iron!!); cut into 4’s and serve with a scoop of cold sour cream and a spoonful of guacamole if you’re using it (and why wouldn’t you?!).
So there it is. Now imagine eating this on a breezy porch, on a summer day, with a bunch of friends, a glass of wine and a paint brush in your hand…
Okay, we’ve been through this already…forget the paint brush. I think this is a two-fister so embrace your inner child, sit cross-legged in the grass and much away! I hope I made Odette proud!!
