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• 8 corn tortillas
• 1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 1 cup shredded medium-sharp or mild cheddar cheese
• 3 to 4 tablespoons canned green chiles
• 2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil



• 2 medium tomatoes, chopped and seeded (enough for 2 cups)
• 1 small white onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, minced
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 2 teaspoons white wine vinegar or tarragon vinegar
• 1 fresh jalapeño pepper (more or less, to your taste), seeded, veins removed, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Making quesadillas is like making tortilla sandwiches. Mix together the cheeses and spread equally on four of the tortillas. Sprinkle the chiles evenly over the cheese. Top with the remaining tortillas.

If you have a skillet or griddle large enough to accommodate all 4 quesadillas, warm it up and add the oil. Over medium-high heat, cook the quesadillas 2 minutes or until bottoms are browned. Carefully turn them over and brown the other side. Remove from heat and cut each into quarters. If your skillet is smaller, cook quesadillas one at a time, using 2 teaspoons of oil with each quesadilla.

Serve warm with salsa. Makes 16 one-quarter wedges or 32 one-eighth wedges.

For the salsa, combine all ingredients in a non-metallic bowl; chill for one hour. Bring to room temperature, stir and drain any excess liquid.

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Note: A considerable amount of fat can be removed from quesadillas by using low-fat cheeses. If fat is of great concern, try using non-stick cooking spray rather than olive oil for cooking.

Should you wish to turn up the heat in your salsa just a little, substitute a serrano chile for the jalapeño.

Read our article Hot Holiday Appetizers.