Salsa, tortillas, and lunch

J asked me to blog about this because she worked from home today and thought lunch was fantastic. It was another simple faux-Mexican dish, and it took only a few minutes to make on our wonderful stovetop griddle. Of course, that was because I made the salsa this morning (warning: don't handle hot peppers before inserting contact lenses, even with hand-washings and a shower in between).

Quesadillas

Heat griddle to 350°F and coat lightly with oil. Heat 4 white corn tortillas until golden, turn and add a sprinkling of cheeses: I used ricotta salada and Monterey Jack. When the cheese is hot, add a tablespoon of black beans (if it's out of the can, rinse first) and 2 T salsa. Fold and eat!

Mango-Black Bean Salsa

1 small mango, diced 1/4"

1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed well

juice of 1 lime

1 small tomato, chopped

1 small poblano pepper, chopped very fine

1/4 c chopped red bell pepper,

1/2 t salt

1/2 t black pepper

cilantro, added prior to serving

Mix everything in a non-reactive bowl and let sit for a few hours

Ice Tea

4 c water

1 x-large plain black tea bag

handful of fresh mint

Steep the tea bag for 5 minutes. Chop and add fresh mint leaves, or bruise with the back a knife if you don't want to strain it. Let cool off and pour into a pitcher. Chill.

I don't know why J insisted that I include the tea. I figure everyone knows how to do this. Right?

The trickiest part of this whole meal is finding good, fresh corn tortillas. At supermarkets that carry them (not our local ones) they are made in NY and are full of preservatives (and they do last forever). Last week I bought a bag of blue corn tortillas at Whole Foods, only to find they were moldy when I got them home -- well before the expiration date! Luckily I was at the Reading Terminal the other day and got a bag from 12th Street Cantina: fresh, local, preservative free. They're slightly heavier than the yellow corn variety and they taste great.