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Blackened Chicken Quesadillas & Cranberry Mango Salsa

Source of Recipe

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List of Ingredients

1/2 cup creole blackening seasoning
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons honey
1 cup chicken broth
8 8-inch flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups monterey jack pepper cheese

Cranberry-Mango Salsa:
1 cup cranberries
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup water
1 medium mango
2 kiwi fruits
1/4 cup red onions, diced
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 serrano chili, seeded and diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons honey
salt and pepper



Recipe

For the Salsa (yields about 3 cups):.
Toss the cranberries with the brown sugar then chop coarsley in a food processor, transfer to a heat resistant bowl and set aside.
In a saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water over medium-high heat; bring to a boil while stirring; once boiling, stop stirring and allow to cook for 3 minutes, then immediately pour syrup over cranberries and allow to cool completely.
Meanwhile, peel and dice kiwi and mango.
Combine mango, kiwi, red onion,cilantro, lime juice, serrano chile, garlic and honey; mix well and add to cranberry mixture.
Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.
For the Quesadillas:.
Place blackening seasoning in a shallow dish.
Between two sheets of plastic wrap, flatten chicken breasts with a meat mallet or heavy skillet to a flat even thickness; rub each breast with a few drops of oil and dredge in the blackening seasoning to coat.
Heat 1 tbl of peanut oil in a heavy skillet over high heat; add chicken and cook until blackened on both sides and cooked through- set aside to rest.
In a separate skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat, add onions and saute until just translucent; turn heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until onions are soft but not browned.
Stir in basil and honey and cook for 5 more minutes.
Add chicken broth and turn up heat high enough for broth to simmer; cook until almost all of the broth has evaporated; remove from heat and set aside.
Slice chicken into small pieces and mix with onions.
To assemble: Sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on one tortilla, then spoon on 1/4 of the chicken mixture; sprinkle with 2 tbl more cheese and place another tortilla on top.
Lightly brush a skillet with peanut oil and heat over medium high heat; slide the quesadilla into the skillet and heat until cheese begins to melt; brush upper tortilla with peanut oil and flip quesadilla in skillet.
When cheese is melted, remove from skillet, cut into quarters and serve with cranberry-mango salsa.
Note: quesadillas (top brushed with oil) can also be cooked on a parchment lined sheet pan in a 350 degree oven until cheese melts.