Grilled Chicken Quesadilla

Quesadillas, humble folded tortillas with one or various fillings, are common offerings in Mexican restaurants all over the world and their recipe variations are as infinite as anything you put inside of a tortilla. In this recipe, we bring to your table a flavorful chicken quesadilla that features herb-marinated chicken tenders lying on top of tangy creamy cheese topped with grilled vegetables. Filling, nutritious, and tasty, they comprise a great weeknight meal, but also an easy appetizer for outdoor gatherings. The preparation and cooking is brief, but the chicken needs at least 4 hours in the marinade, so plan ahead to allow the chicken to absorb as much of the delicious flavors in the sauce as possible.

Behind this simple dish lies a complex story. Named by Unesco as an Intangible Heritage of Humanity, Mexican cuisine is as varied as the country is vast. Packed with fresh and aromatic ingredients, following local millenarian traditions, the dishes stemming from this wonderful and enjoyable fare are mouth-watering pieces of history on a plate. Yet, the humble quesadilla is surrounded by a lot of regional controversy. If you know a little Spanish you'll know that queso translates into English as "cheese." Thus you'd assume that the dish's name originated from the fact that the basic filling is always, well, queso. However, that's not always the case, and versions without cheese are plentiful. And it all depends on the region in which you eat it and the local customs. A quesadilla is, in brief, a folded tortilla with any filling. Newer versions created in the United States are served as triangular sandwich-like bites made out of two tortillas with the beloved queso present at all times. Our version brings the best of both worlds: the Mexican tradition that believes the quesadilla needs queso and the American idea to cut them in triangles for easy eating. Can't get better than that.

Use leftover rotisserie chicken or roasted turkey if you have some and use the marinade preparation later as a herby table sauce to dip the quesadillas in. Other cheeses can be used, as long as they're melty, like full-fat mozzarella or Havarti, but shred them yourself, as already-shredded cheese is packed with anti-caking agents that prevent the cheese from melting properly.