Premium Crab and Fresh Avocado Quesadilla

Here we go getting all Mexican again.  We just can’t help loving that fresh avocado flavor coupled with some of our favorite proteins.  Tonight’s protein is premium crab meat.  I do like working with the freshest ingredients but when it comes to crab, I’d just as soon get the best quality I can IN A can.  The avocado filling however, is fresh and full of flavor.  You can’t beat this dish for a Monday night meal.

Crab Quesadilla with Fresh Avocado Filling

• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• 1 avocado, peeled and chopped*
• 1/2 cup diced tomatoes (I used 8 grape tomatoes and 1/2 of a plum tomato- see below for use of the other 1/2 of that plum tomato)
• 1/8 tsp cumin
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 tsp lime juice

Rub the bottom of a saute pan with olive oil and turn heat to medium.  Add onion and cook 10 minutes.  In a bowl, combine the avocado, tomatoes, cooked onions, seasonings and lime juice. Mix and set aside. 

*The easiest way to prepare an avocado is 1. Take a sharp knife and cut all the way around it, top to bottom – long ways.  Put down the knife and give the avocado a gentle twist. It will come right away from the big round pit. 2.  Now take a spoon and gently insert the spoon between the “meat” and the skin of the avocado.  The meat will come right out of the skin which you can toss away. Now you can chop the avocado “meat”.

Prepare the Quesadilla.

• 4 flour tortillas
• 1  4.5 oz green chiles – drained
• 1 16 oz can crab meat – you may not want to use it all unless you want your quesadilla’s overflowing
• 4 TBS shredded cheese – cheddar or what ever you prefer
• Salsa of choice
• sour cream

Pour lemon juice into the can of crab – just let it sit and soak it up for a minute. Put the tortillas on working surface.  On one half of the tortilla, put about 3 TBS avocado mixture, 1 tsp green chiles, 4 TBS crab meat, and some cheese.  Fold the tortilla in half.  Do the same for the other 3 tortillas. *I had so much crab meat left over, I simply made extra plain crab-cheese quesadillas.  You can also cut the crab meat in half if you don’t want left overs.

Heat a pan that is rubbed with olive oil on medium.  When hot, add tortilla and cook about 4- 5 minutes per side – until cheese melts. Top with more avocado mixture, salsa and 1 TBS or so of sour cream.

For a side vegetable dish, we had green beans with diced plum tomato – hence …usage of the left over half of plum tomato. Let it not go to waste!

• Enough vegetable/chicken broth to cover the bottom of a small saute pan.
• 1 lb fresh green beans
• 1/2 plum tomato, diced
• salt and pepper

Heat broth and add the rest of the ingredients.  Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer -covered for 5 minutes. Remove lid and let cook at a simmer 10 more minutes.

There is another cake order to be delivered on Friday.  Preparations begin tonight.  You guessed right…another graduation cake.  What fun!

Have a great night.