Cheese & Mushroom Quesadilla

From Spanish meaning “little cheesy thing”.
Mexican-style dish with ingredients wrapped inside a tortilla.

• 2 tbs olive oil (or Crisco white, or other vegetable shortening)
  
• 1 pound button mushrooms (or assorted such as shitake, oyster, cremini, or chanterelles) cleaned, and sliced approx ¼ inch (0.6cm) thick
  
• green chiles (chillies) to taste, seeded and sliced thin
  
• 2 tbs chopped fresh epazote leaves, or ¼ cup cilantro
  
• salt
  
• 8 fresh corn tortillas (or flour)
  
• 8 oz Mexican melting cheese (such as Chihuahua, quesillo or asadero) or Monterey Jack and cheddar mixed, shredded
  
• 1 cup salsa, guacamole, sour cream optional

In a medium skillet heat the oil or shortening on medium heat, add mushrooms, chiles, and epazotes (if using cilantro set aside for later), stir well and cover. Continue to stir every minute or two until mushrooms have released a lot of juice, around 4 – 6 minutes. Uncover and simmer briskly until liquid has evaporated, taste and season with salt. Add cilantro now if desired.

Mushrooms can be prepared in advance and refrigerated and saved for up to one week.

Heat skillet on medium, and turn over to lowest setting. One by one form quesadillas, lightly brush one side of tortilla with oil and place on skillet, spread with ¼ cup cheese, leaving a ½ inch (1.3cm) border all around; spoon approx 3 tbs of mushroom mixture down the centre. When cheese begins to melt – byt before tortilla starts to crisp – fold tortilla in half along the line of filling and cook, flipping every minute or so until cheese is completely melted and tortilla crisps.

As each quesadilla is done, transfer to sheet in oven and keep warm until served.