I have the answer to all your Mexican cravings and no, it is not at Chipotle or Taco Bell. Forget the calories involved, dining out Mexican style (at least in the Northeast) means a lot of preservatives, a lot of cheese, and not great quality. My concern is always, I am not quite sure what is in that mean or how those beans were prepared. Well, rather than spend my $20 college allotment of eating out at Chipotle, I came up with a quesadilla that continues to impress. It is simple, healthy, and cheap (especially if you buy more of the ingredients this turns into a weekly meal).

Time: 35 minutes                                           Makes: 1 quesadilla

Ingredients 

• 2- 8" Whole Wheat Tortillas

• 1 cup Cheese (get creative here)

  • Mexican Blend is always an easy option

  • Mix Mozzarella and cheddar for a more subdued flavor

  • Spice it up with cheddar, pepperjack, and chipotle flavors

• 1 thin chicken breast, I usually slice mine in half longways 

• 1/2 cup of brown rice

• Fresh Cilantro, chopped

• Black pepper, garlic powder, and paprika for seasoning

• Olive oil for marinating chicken

• Optional: Guacamole (homemade recipe to come!)

Recipe

• Follow instructions on the box and begin cooking rice.

• Chop cilantro and set 2 tablespoons aside. Leave the rest on the cutting board. Place chicken breast atop the remaining cilantro and cut chicken in slices. Press and rub the cilantro into the chicken.

• I use a George Foreman Grill to cook the chicken, so I preheat that now. If you do not have one, you can use a small frying pan. 

• In a small bowl mix about 3 tablespoons of olive oil, paprika, ground black pepper, and garlic powder for seasoning. I use about a table spoon of paprika and garlic powder and 2 teaspoons of pepper. This all depends on how much chicken you are seasoning. 

• Add the chicken strips to the olive oil mixture and mix with hands until completely covered. You want the chicken to be covered in spices but not dry. Make sure there is still cilantro on the chicken as well. 

• When the rice has bout 8 minutes left, add two tablespoons of chopped cilantro and allow to finish cooking.

• Place the chicken on the George Foreman Grill or in a small frying pan. Cook until the edges are golden. This should only take about 3-5 minutes depending on the size strips you cut.

• With the stove off, place a bit of olive oil in a larger frying pan, and place one tortilla in the pan. Add your desired cheese mixture onto the tortilla. Not too thick, but covered completely.

• When rice has finished cooking, use a spoon to add a layer of rice to the tortilla. Add as much or as little as you like, but keep in mind you want the edges of the top and bottom tortilla to eventually touch. 

• Place the cooked chicken on top of the rice. Add a bit of extra rice if necessary to smooth out this layer. 

• Add the remaining cheese on top. This will allow the two tortillas to seal together.

• Place the other tortilla on top and turn the stove on low-medium heat.

• Using a spatula press down on the top tortilla to allow for best fusion of all the ingredients

• Finally, when the bottom tortilla is golden(about 5 minutes), carefully flip the tortilla and cook the other side as well.

• When finished, carefully transfer to a plate, cut in fourths, add a dollop of guac and Enjoy a taste of Mexico!