I constantly have a list of recipes that I want to try on my blogging to do list and today's is one of them. Ever since I got my Sage Waffle Maker I've been thinking about what else I could cook in in - apart from waffles of course! Cheese toasties were suggested but I wanted to take that a step further and make more of a meal. Mini flour tortillas are pretty much the perfect waffle size and as a result waffled quesadillas have been in the back of my mind. Up until a week or so ago I will fully admit that the only Mexican celebration I knew of was Día de Muertos (Day of the Dead) however Cinco de Mayo suddenly seemed to be being mentioned everywhere in foodie circles so I reckoned I should strike while the (waffle) iron was hot and cook up some Mexican Waffles.
A wee bit of history. Cinco de Mayo—or the fifth of May—commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War. Despite its history, it's a relatively modern holiday which only started being celebrated in the late 1960's by means of Mexican culture, food, music and drinks. It is celebrated largely in the US and contrary to popular belief, it's not Mexico's Independence Day which is commemorated on September 16th. That's three Mexican celebrations I now know of! Back to the waffles. These are super easy to make but the trick is not to overfull them. Less is definitely more in this case. There is far less room for filling than you think. I've teamed them up with a Mexican Salad which can be as spicy as you dare with the addition of Tabasco. Perhaps best to have a Margarita on standby to if the Cinco de Mayo celebrations get too hot to handle.
Quesadilla Waffles with a Mexican Bean Salad
Serves 4
Quesadillas
Pack of 6 Mini Flour Tortillas
200g Cirio Chopped Tomatoes (half a tin)
215g Tin of Refried Beans
150g Grated Mozzarella Cheese
Mexican Salad
200g Cirio Chopped Tomatoes (half a tin)
400g Tin of Three Bean Salad, drained
1 fresh Corn on the Cob, cooked and shaved
50g Pitted Black Olives, sliced
1/4 Red Onion, finely chopped
2 Tbsp Fresh Coriander, chopped
Salt & Pepper
Tabasco - to taste
Prepare all the salad ingredients and mix together in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt, pepper and Tabasco.
Preheat your waffle maker.
Spread a mini flour tortilla with a layer or refried beans, followed by some chopped tomatoes and a third of the mozzarella cheese.
Top with a second tortilla and place in the waffle maker.
Cook the quesadilla until the cheese is melted and bubbling and the tortilla is lightly browned.
Carefully remove from the waffle maker with a fish slice and leave on a plate for a couple of minutes to cool and firm up slightly before cutting into quarters. A scissors works best for this.
Serve the Quesadilla Waffles with the Mexican Bean Salad and Soured Cream.
Other bloggers who have been getting experimental with their waffle makers are Katherine who made Falafel Waffles, Helen who made Spiralized Sweet Potato Latkes and Diana and Kavita who made Potato, Egg and Cheese Waffles and Parmesan & Paprika Potato Waffles respectively. What else can be waffled I wonder??
