In this recipe, simple jack cheese quesadillas are prepared with a tangy kale and pistachio salsa. Big pieces of diced avocado are lightly tossed into the salsa to round out the acidity. Slideshow: More Tex-Mex Recipes
How to Make It
In a medium bowl, combine the minced shallot and orange juice and let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water. In a small pot of salted boiling water, cook the kale leaves until they are bright green and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and transfer the leaves to the ice bath to cool. Drain, squeezing out as much water as possible. Finely chop the leaves and transfer them to the bowl of minced shallot. Stir in the minced jalapeño, lime juice, olive oil, cilantro, and chopped pistachios. Add the diced avocado to the bowl and gently toss to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper and set aside.
In a non-stick skillet, heat 1/2 teaspoon of the oil. Place one tortilla in the skillet and scatter half of the cheese evenly over the top. Top with the second tortilla and cook over moderately high heat until crisp on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Carefully flip over the quesadilla and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the cheese is melted and the second side is golden. Repeat with the reserved oil and second quesadilla. Slice the quesadillas into wedges, transfer to a plate, and serve with the salsa verde.