Greek Quesadilla – Galley Recipe

Skippetydoodah has sent in a recipe for Greek Quesadilla, a delicious twist on the popular Mexican dish.

Skippetydoodah is a private chef and qualified yacht chef (available for hire) who has cooked in villas and on boats. She is an experienced ocean sailor with 27,000 miles behind her including a transit and lots of crewing and racing. One of her cheffing jobs was on a charter yacht in the Western Isles in Scotland in horrific weather for 5 months where she was cooking regularly in F8s and 9s – and once in a F11.  Over to Skippetydoodah….

Quesadilla – kay-sa-deeah – try saying that when you have spent all evening in the pub!!!

Thankfully, making the quesadillas is a lot simpler and they are ideal for a small boat as they require one pan – a large frying pan. Quesadillas originated in Mexico and are a type of taco often filled with cheese and beans, sometimes chicken and vegetables. In fact, you can fill them with whatever you like, they are very versatile. They are made with flour tortillas browned in a frying pan and filled with any combination you fancy.

Ingredients (makes about 3)

• Flour tortillas
• 400g spinach – remove tough stalks etc
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• Large bunch of spring onions (scallions), chopped
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
• 150g feta cheese, crumbled
• Olive oil
• Salt and black pepper

Equipment

One large frying pan or skillet

Preparation and cooking time for Greek quesadilla

30 minutes

Method for cooking Greek quesadilla

1. You will need to wilt the spinach first and let it cool a little.  Put a very small spoonful of water into the pan and heat up, adding the spinach in two lots. Use a spatula to turn it around in the pan until it is wilted, then turn on to a plate and repeat with the second batch. Once wilted, drain and press as much moisture out of the spinach as possible (use a saucer to press down on it, or a handful of kitchen roll). Leave to cool.
2. In the same pan, heat some oil and soften the onion, spring onion and garlic. Season a little (not too much salt as feta is salty). Mix the onion with the wilted spinach and add the crumbled feta.
3. Using a piece of kitchen roll wipe a small amount of olive oil around the frying pan and heat up (not too hot as you will burn the tortillas). Place a tortilla in the pan and then put in a couple of spoonfuls of the spinach mixture and spread quickly over the base. Put a second tortilla on top and press down carefully. Use a spatula or palette knife to check that the tortilla is not burning underneath.
4. When there are a few nice golden patches forming underneath, very carefully use a fish slice to turn over the quesadilla. When the underside is nicely crisp, slide it out on to a plate and keep warm while you make another. Each quesadilla can be cut into 4 like a cake and look very decorative in a pile on a plate.

These quesadillas can be served with Tzatziki, the traditional Greek yoghurt-based sauce that usually forms part of a Greek mezze. You can make you own and will need:

Tzatzki ingredients

• 2-3 large spoonfuls of Greek yoghurt
• 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and grated
• 2-3 garlic cloves, grated
• Salt and pepper
• Lemon juice
• Chopped dill and mint

Mix the cucumber, garlic and chopped herbs with the yoghurt, season to taste and add some lemon juice to taste.

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