Chicken and pesto quesadillas

It’s been a week since I last posted a recipe and that might seem like I’ve starved my family to death. Or, worse, that we’ve all taken the easy way out and lived on fast food delivery for the last seven days. It’s neither. I was in the hospital for five days, had surgery (they took out my gall bladder), so I wasn’t doing any cooking. In fact, two days before I went to the hospital, I was already too sick to cook. These chicken and pesto quesadillas were the last decent things I cooked before I fell ill. Just so you understand the unusually long interval between this entry and the one before it.

Quesadillas with chicken strips, pesto, bell peppers, chili peppers and cheese

Chicken and pesto quesadillas? You’d probably raise your eyebrow a little higher when I tell you that those quesadillas in the photo had lots of kesong puti (native white cheese) inside them. Yes, seriously. Like I always say, never be afraid to experiment and use unorthodox combination of ingredients.

Serves 4 to 6.

Ingredients for chicken and pesto quesadillas

12 small flour tortillas
250 g. of chicken fillets (I used thighs but breast meat is okay too), cut into thin strips
3 tbsps. of extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsps. of pesto
2 bell peppers, red or green or a combination, veins and seeds removed then finely diced
1 finger chili, finely sliced
3 cloves of garlic, grated
1 onion, finely sliced
salt
pepper
12 slices of cheddar cheese
12 slices of kesong puti, about 250 grams total

Click on the photos below for step-by-step instructions on how to make chicken and pesto quesadillas.

: Cooking the chicken filling

: Chili peppers add a nice oomph to the filling

: Add lots of freshly ground black pepper

: Heat both sides of the flour tortilla in a pan

: Assembling the quesadillas

: Kesong puti in quesadilla? Why not?

: Fold the tortilla; press to close

: Bake in a very hot oven

: Cut the quesadillas into triangles

In the mood for more food? Try these!

Except for personal use, or as legitimate RSS feeds with link back to this page, NO PART OF THIS ENTRY MAY BE REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER, whether individually or as part of a collection, without the owner's PRIOR written permission. This blog is a FREE service. Help maintain it by respecting the author's copyright.

Some entries have multiple pages. Most recipes are on page 2; others, on page 3 or 4. Click on the pagination links to view them.

Some entries DO NOT contain recipes.

Sorry, I don't e-mail recipes. However, you may opt to receive a weekly summary of recent Pinoy Cook food articles and recipes by using the form below.

Comments

17 Responses to “Chicken and pesto quesadillas”

soloops on June 3rd, 2008 2:20 pm

So that explains it.

How are you now, Ms. Connie?
Glitterati on June 3rd, 2008 3:23 pm

So sorry to hear you’ve been ill Connie, hope your recovery is speedy and smooth!
maricar on June 3rd, 2008 3:49 pm

hi connie… i was browsing your site for a week everyday and i was wondering whether you’re out of town or country or just too busy to post something. i hope you’re feeling better now. take care and more new dishes to come
Connie on June 3rd, 2008 7:14 pm

I’m much better, Soloops, although I can’t move around so much yet. I got a five-inch incision across my tummy…

Thanks, Glitterari and Maricar. When I go on a trip, I always try to post “future entries” so that there are no lengthy gaps between posts. But, you know, illness doesn’t really allow you so much time to prepare.
noes on June 3rd, 2008 7:37 pm

hope you feeling well. cause we miss you.
beng on June 3rd, 2008 11:46 pm

get well soon connie.
jdawgg on June 4th, 2008 4:32 am

Hello Connie,

First of all Get Well Soon, secondly let me introduce myself. I’m Jerry and I’ve been surfing through your website for about 6 months now and really enjoying what I read. From bay area/SF. i’m sorry to hear that you we’re ill. Again please get well soon so we could read more and get more ideas on what to cook our love ones. May God bless you and your love ones.

Peace,

Jdawgg
ireen on June 4th, 2008 1:18 pm

so sorry to hear about what happened to you…but am glad that youre doing ok…take care and we look forward for more sumptuos dishes by you…i also checked out your site everyday and wondered what happened to you….glad youre feeling better…get well soon….
Sam on June 4th, 2008 1:52 pm

Hi Connie,
Hope you’re feeling better now…!!
Hanga talaga ako sayo, kagagaling mo lang
sa sakit, luto ng luto kaagad!!!
Connie on June 4th, 2008 4:02 pm

Salamat sa inyo. I’m feeling much, much better. Went to the supermarket today already hehehe

Sam, I survived on hospital food for so many days. Now I need to cook REAL food hehehe
susan on June 4th, 2008 4:52 pm

Hi Ms Connie, just check my mail….so sorry to hear that you got sick. Maraming salamat for the update wish you complete recovery! ingat
ester on June 4th, 2008 8:11 pm

Now i know the reason why i wasn’t able to read new recipes….Please get well soon!
hazel on June 4th, 2008 11:10 pm

Get well soon!!! We miss your postings and recipes already but nice to hear that you’re moving and much better now.
Julius S. on June 5th, 2008 1:25 am

Its good to know you’re recovering fast. Get well soon.
melisa on June 5th, 2008 8:07 am

Hi Ms Connie! I hope you are well na! Ang hirap na nga kapag nagkasakit ka, mas mahirap pa kapag naoperahan ka, like me… hehe… I’ve undergone appendectomy po kasi… I hope you’re feeling better now… Maybe you are kasi nakapgluto ka na…
rv on June 5th, 2008 9:29 am

great that you’re feeling better now ms. connie.
jeng on June 5th, 2008 5:08 pm

Hi, Ms. Connie… Thank God you are well now… Just take it easy and we, the avid readers of your site, can wait till you are up and about… I’m pretty sure there are plenty of new recipes coming soon…
Ingat po.