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Shrimp Quesadillas with Roasted Tomato Salsa

Wine Pairing: Rex Goliath Chardonnay

Ingredients

• Shrimp

  • 1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 pound medium shrimp, shelled, de-veined and cut in half lengthwise
  • 1 Tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper to taste

• Quesadilla Filling

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons fresh marjoram, chopped
  • 2 Tablespoons flat-leaf parsley, chopped
  • 4 ounces cotija cheese, crumbled or grated (can substitute ricotta salata)
  • 7 ounces Monterey Jack, grated
  • 1/2 cup canola oil (for cooking)
  • 10 flour tortillas Roasted Tomato

• Salsa

  • 1 1/2 pounds ripe tomatoes
  • 1 small red onion, unpeeled, quartered
  • 2 cloves garlic, unpeeled
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 chipotle in adobo, stem removed, seeded and chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/2 cup cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions

Preheat: oven to 425°F.

Quesadilia Filiing/Shrimp: In a small bowl combine garlic and olive oil. Peel and devein shrimp. Cut in half lengthwise. Heat a medium saute pan. Toss shrimp in garlic olive oil then transfer to hot saute pan. Cook until pink, about 30 seconds-1 minute a side. Transfer shrimp to a small bowl; season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Quesadilia Filling/Other: Combine marjoram, parsley, and cheeses in a bowl; toss to mix.

Roasted Tomato Salsa: Toss tomatoes, onions and unpeeled garlic with olive oil in a roasting pan. Roast salsa in oven until tomatoes are blistered and charred, about 10 minutes. Let vegetables cool slightly then pull off their skins and discard. Cut tomatoes in half crosswise and gently squeeze them over a sink to extract their seeds. Transfer the roasted vegetables, chipotle, lime and salt to the bowl of. a food processor. Puree until smooth (but don't over puree). Add chopped cilantro then transfer to bowl for serving with a small spoon. Garnish with a leaf of cilantro.

Assemble/Cook Quesadillas: Add 1 Tablespoon of canola oil to a non-stick skillet over medium heat Lay one tortilla flat in the pan. Place about 3 tablespoons of cheese/herb mixture and 2 Tablespoons of shrimp on top and cover with another tortilla. Fry for a few minutes until toasty then turn and fry until toasty on the other side. Remove pan from heat.

Serve: To serve, cut each quesadilla into 4-5 triangles. Place on serving platter, surrounding the salsa.

Makes 1 cup of salsa and 24 quesadilla triangles