I have for many years been going to El Indio Mexican Restaurant to enjoy the cuisine prepared by my good friend Sylvia Leal Malone and her family. And while the food is excellent on every given day, there finally came a day, on Tuesday, April 5, 2006 when I ventured to try something new and WOW, it really knocked my socks off!
The key to it is in its utter simplicity: a Veggie Quesadilla served with rice, black beans, Guacamole, and freshly made salsa. Seeing it on the menu, I was sure that there would be little excitement in the dish but I had given up meat for Lent and was looking for an alternative to Chicken Enchiladas. Let me tell you, it was so delicious that I was determined to write about it before I took my second bite.
Here's the basic recipe:
In Olive Oil, sauté Onions until translucent, add Spinach.
When spinach is wilted, add Mushrooms, diced Zucchini, and Cilantro.
Finally, add diced and drained Tomatoes. Sauté for a couple of more minutes.
Remove from heat.
Lay out two flour tortillas (alternately, one may use pitas or other flat breads). Top one with grated Cheese (Queso), then vegetable mixture. Top with more cheese and place second tortilla on top.
Place in a hot oven for approximately five minutes.
Tortillas will crisp slightly, cheese will be melted, and veggies will be rich and hearty.
When I talked to Sylvia, I asked her how she came up with this dish since Quesadilla is a cheese dish. "Because I wanted to find a way to use my favorite vegetables in a clean, simple dish." I couldn't have said it any better than this.
Here is the address in case you visit Monterey, California.
El Indio Mexican Restaurant
1290 Del Monte Center
Monterey, CA 93940
Copyright © 2006 The Gothic Gourmet
