Blackened Chicken Quesadillas & Cranberry Mango Salsa

Total Time: 1 hr 30 mins Preparation Time: 30 mins Cook Time: 1 hr

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 1/2 cup creole blackening seasoning
• 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 8 (8 inch) flour tortillas
• 1 1/2 cups monterey jack pepper cheese
• 1 cup cranberries
• 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 medium mango
• 2 kiwi fruits
• 1/4 cup red onion, diced
• 2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 serrano chili, seeded and diced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/2 teaspoons honey
• salt and pepper

Recipe

• 1 for the salsa (yields about 3 cups):.
• 2 toss the cranberries with the brown sugar then chop coarsley in a food processor, transfer to a heat resistant bowl and set aside.
• 3 in a saucepan, combine granulated sugar and water over medium-high heat; bring to a boil while stirring; once boiling, stop stirring and allow to cook for 3 minutes, then immediately pour syrup over cranberries and allow to cool completely.
• 4 meanwhile, peel and dice kiwi and mango.
• 5 combine mango, kiwi, red onion,cilantro, lime juice, serrano chile, garlic and honey; mix well and add to cranberry mixture.
• 6 season with salt and pepper and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow flavors to blend.
• 7 for the quesadillas:.
• 8 place blackening seasoning in a shallow dish.
• 9 between two sheets of plastic wrap, flatten chicken breasts with a meat mallet or heavy skillet to a flat even thickness; rub each breast with a few drops of oil and dredge in the blackening seasoning to coat.
• 10 heat 1 tbl of peanut oil in a heavy skillet over high heat; add chicken and cook until blackened on both sides and cooked through- set aside to rest.
• 11 in a separate skillet, heat vegetable oil over medium heat, add onions and saute until just translucent; turn heat to low and cook for 15 minutes until onions are soft but not browned.
• 12 stir in basil and honey and cook for 5 more minutes.
• 13 add chicken broth and turn up heat high enough for broth to simmer; cook until almost all of the broth has evaporated; remove from heat and set aside.
• 14 slice chicken into small pieces and mix with onions.
• 15 to assemble: sprinkle 1/4 cup cheese on one tortilla, then spoon on 1/4 of the chicken mixture; sprinkle with 2 tbl more cheese and place another tortilla on top.
• 16 lightly brush a skillet with peanut oil and heat over medium high heat; slide the quesadilla into the skillet and heat until cheese begins to melt; brush upper tortilla with peanut oil and flip quesadilla in skillet.
• 17 when cheese is melted, remove from skillet, cut into quarters and serve with cranberry-mango salsa.
• 18 note: quesadillas (top brushed with oil) can also be cooked on a parchment lined sheet pan in a 350 degree oven until cheese melts.