Southwestern With a Twist of Lime

Quesadillas! A little grilled chicken, some melted cheese, a toasted tortilla, what’s not to love? Add a side of black bean-corn-tomato salad for a healthy and delicious accompaniment. And lots of lime to jazz everything up. Flavoring the chicken with a lime marinade with garlic, cumin, and oregano adds depth to the quesadilla. And a lime vinaigrette really brightens up the bean salad. (If you dig cilantro you can certainly use it here, but since I don’t like it I use parsley instead.)

If you need a dessert to go with this meal you could, of course, keep with the lime theme but I think a spicy chocolate cheesecake would be perfect. Now why didn’t I think of that sooner?

Black Bean-Corn-Tomato Salad with Lime Vinaigrette (6 servings)

• 1 clove garlic, pressed
• 1 tsp. salt
• ½ tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• juice and zest of 1 lime
• 6 tbsp. olive oil
• 2 15-oz. cans black beans, drained and rinsed
• ½ cup diced red onion
• 2 tomatoes, diced
• 1 10-oz. box frozen corn, thawed
• ½ cup chopped fresh parsley

1. To make the vinaigrette, combine the garlic, salt, pepper, lime juice, and lime zest in a small bowl. Whisk the olive oil in a slow stream to form an emulsion.
2. Combine the beans, onion, tomatoes, corn, and parsley in a large bowl. Add the vinaigrette and toss thoroughly. Chill for at least an hour.

Lime Chicken Quesadillas (6 servings)

• 2 cloves garlic, pressed
• Juice and zest of 1 lime
• 2 tsp. ground cumin
• 1 tsp. dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 lb. chicken breast tenders
• 12 small (6-inch) tortillas
• 3 tomatoes, diced
• 1 ½ cups Monterey Jack cheese

1. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice and zest, cumin, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil and whisk to combine. Put the chicken in a zip-top back and pour the marinade over it. Seal the back and turn to ensure the chicken is evenly coated with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
2. Grill the chicken until just cooked through (the amount of time will depend on the thickness of the chicken and the heat of the grill). Cut or shred the chicken into small pieces.
3. Arrange the chicken evenly on six tortillas. Add the tomatoes. Sprinkle ¼ cup of cheese on each tortilla. Cover with another tortilla and grill until the tortilla is just crispy and the cheese is melted.