No one likes Hospital Food, so of course I bring something tasty every time I visit. This time I thought, what with the boring repetition of meals like "pot roast" hockey pucks in molten brown goo, I'd spice things up a little bit and make a quick Mexican quesadilla.
First I spray what will be the outside of the flour tortilla with a bit of olive oil cooking spray and place that side down in a non-stick skillet.
I start it (in the cold skillet) with a layer of sliced muenster cheese, and then added a mixture of leftover roast chicken and tomatoes.
Notice: only on one side of the tortilla.
Since transplant patients cannot have raw fruit or vegetables, I washed the tomatoes well, chopped them, seasoned them with salt, and then sautéed them in a bit of olive oil and a few tablespoons of chicken stock for about 3-4 minutes, until the liquid has boiled and basically evaporated. When it is almost evaporated I toss in the chicken, fresh cilantro (no raw fresh herbs...sigh), and a pinch of cumin. This way everything is flavorful, and the tomatoes have cooked enough to kill anything nasty but still have most of their fresh tomato taste.
Another sneaky tip:
Instead of buying a can of black beans that needs seasoning and effort, I buy a can of black bean soup (I like Goya's) and sift some of the beans out with a fork. Then I get to have the soup later as well, and I admit my favorite part of black bean soup has always been the broth, so if it's not jam-packed with beans when I eat it, I'm not displeased.
Sprinkle the beans over the chicken, tomatoes, and cheese.
Top with more muenster cheese, fold the other half of the tortilla over, and crank the heat to medium-high.
Cook until you see the cheese starting to melt and then flip.
When all the cheese is melted and the tortilla has gotten browned and crispy, you know you're ready to eat.
Or in this case, wrap it in some tinfoil and run it up to the hospital!
This would also make a good picnic lunch with the warm weather starting to show its sunny face.
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