quesadillas florales

quesadillas florales

edible flowers and herbs harvested from my garden this morning

rose, geranium, lavender, day lily, marigold, mint

Once again I turn to John Sedlar for inspiration. After a most enchanting lunch at his restaurant Rivera in downtown Los Angeles, we fell head-over-heels for his Modern Southwest Cuisine. The chef serves tortillas florales with "indian butter," a spread made from avocado. Here, I take his idea to embed flowers into the masa and make decorated quesadillas filled with brie.

making tortillas

2 c. corn masa flour
maiz seleccionado y nixtamalizado
(selected corn treated with lime)

sprinkle 1/4 t. sea salt

add 1 1/4 c. water, mix thoroughly to form a soft dough

form masa into a ball

cover masa with damp cloth, let rest 5 minutes

take a piece of dough

roll between the palms to form a ball

cover masa balls with a damp cloth to keep moist

tortilla press

place a sheet of plastic wrap on the press, place one ball in the center, cover with another sheet of wrap
close lid and press down on lever

open lid, remove top layer of wrap

decorating tortillas

rose and marigold

rose, geranium and lavender

rose and mint

after placing the decoration, re-cover the tortilla with wrap, apply the press again

leave tortillas in individual wrappers until ready to cook

making quesadillas

slice brie, remove most of the rind

heat an ungreased skillet or comal over medium-high heat

add tortilla to the pan, cook about 5o seconds on each side

keep tortillas warm between folds of cloth napkins

cook plain tortillas, top with slices of brie

when brie starts to melt, top with a decorated tortilla

slice quesadillas into quarters

pour refreshing beverages
and serve quesadillas florales!

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

Vegan "Beef" Tacos

Beefless Tips (garden protein)

Monterey Jack Cheese Alternative

White Corn Tortillas

Shredded Cabbage, Cilantro, Sliced Jalapeño, Lime

Spicy Vegan Mayonnaise

Sauté (defrosted) chopped Beefless Tips in a non-stick pan with a bit of canola oil until browned. Meanwhile heat white corn tortillas (no lard, no cholesterol) on a griddle with a drop of canola oil.

Top tortillas with the browned Beefless Tips and Monterey Jack cheese alternative.

Top with shredded cabbage, cilantro, sliced jalapeño, and a squeeze of lime. Make a spicy topping with Vegenaise mixed with hot sauce (I like Tapatio Salsa Picante).

¡A su salud!

For more information on the vegan "beef" "cheese" or "mayonnaise" please click on the links.

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes

Baja-Style Tortilla Soup

Baja-Style Tortilla Vegetable Soup

Garnished with Avocado, Lime, Serrano, Cilantro

This soup recipe came about from a trip we took to Mexico years ago. It's evolved over the years, the original recipe was made simply with chicken broth and only onion and anaheim chile. I think the current vegetarian incarnation is really flavorful, authentic tasting, and healthy too!

Sauté chopped onion, celery, and carrots in olive oil until softened. Then add finely chopped chiles (serrano or the milder anaheim) and minced garlic, stirring and cook about 5 more minutes. Add ground cumin and dried Mexican oregano, these herbs are important for the authentic flavor. Add vegetable broth and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer for about 10 minutes.

Corn tortillas are cut into strips then fried in canola oil. Drain on paper towels and sprinkle with a bit of sea salt. The corn tortillas contain no cholesterol and no lard. The fried tortillas are a key component, a bag of tortilla chips is an unworthy substitute!

Then add a good amount of shredded cabbage to the soup, and cook until the cabbage is just softened (don't over cook).

Lastly, add peeled seeded tomatoes to the soup and turn off the heat. Add a small amount of salt if necessary. Add the juice of one lime. Ladle soup into bowls and garnish with tortilla strips, diced avocado, cilantro leaves, lime quarters, and thinly sliced serrano peppers.

¡Buen provecho!

Lori Lynn

Taste With The Eyes