When two of my favorite foods enjoy the same “national” celebration day, I simply must combine my thinking. I mean, to my tastebuds, there is very little as delectable as the sweet tender meat from a freshly steamed lobster simply dipped in salty, melted butter. Then comes the quesadilla, with its crispy exterior and melty, cheesy yumminess inside.
So, go ahead, dice up your lobster meat and sprinkle it on one half of a large flour tortilla. Then sprinkle on a healthy dose of a favorite melting cheese, such as a muenster, Monterey Jack, or a pepperjack for a little zing.
Then lay that tortilla in melted butter in a skillet over med heat and fold the plain half over the goodies, forming the classic quesadilla half-moon shape. Let it cook just 2 minutes to add some buttery crispness to the tortilla and start the cheese melting. Use a large spatula to flip it over and let it crisp another 2 minutes or till the cheese is marvelously melted. Slide it onto a plate and use a sharp knife to cut it in wedges. Enjoy as it is or with a side salad.
Because I am a big lobster fan, I wrote Lobacious Lobster: Decadently Super Simple Recipes in 2017. It’s packed with lobster recipes from appetizers to desserts, plus lots of lobster information. Lobacious Lobster marked the first larger format and full-color cookbook in my collection of 9 cookbooks in the Super Simple line-up. (Oh, and did I make up the word “lobacious” for this book? Yes, indeed… as it simply sounds decadent.)
So, here’s my KISS (Keep It Super Simple) Lobster Quesadilla recipe from Lobacious Lobster. It’s party-sized to make 10 quesadillas, but it can be sized down to just one quesadilla, too.
KISS Lobster Quesadilla
1 red onion, finely chopped & sautéed (to sweeten it; or use a large, sweet onion)
2-3 plum tomatoes, chopped
8-oz cream cheese, softened to room temp
4 c Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
4 thin green onions, finely chopped
4 T Asian hot sauce or a ginger sweet chili sauce
Sea salt & ground black pepper
1 lime, juiced
2 lbs cooked lobster meat, diced
10 (8” size) flour tortillas
4-6 T butter, or more as needed
Combine tomatoes & sautéed onion in small microwave-safe dish; microwave on high for 2 min. In a bowl, mix cheeses, green onions, hot sauce, seasonings, lime juice & tomato-onion mixture. Spread some on half of each tortilla. Divide lobster meat among the 10 tortillas, sprinkling over the cheese mixture. Fold over to create a half-moon shape. Melt butter over med heat in large skillet; pan fry each tortilla (2 at a time) for 2-3 min per side, till brown & crispy. Cut into wedges and serve with salsa, guacamole & sour cream on the side.
KISS Tips: These can be assembled in advance and pan-fried as needed throughout your party. You can also vary the ingredients to suit your tastes. For example, sprinkle diced bits of papaya or mango over the lobster before folding the tortillas to cook them. Or try replacing your regular salsa with mango or peach salsa.
That is how I celebrate National Lobster Day and National Quesadilla Day!
