Pink Lady apple & chicken quesadillas with sour cream & guacamole

A good sharing dish for a casual drinks party, will work well as a festive entertaining dish. If you are short on time substitute the marinated chicken for ready cooked chicken breast and ready-made guacamole. These quesadillas can be chilled in the fridge once assembled for up to 24 hours so they are a great get-ahead party snack. Make the guacamole just before you want to eat it.

• Preparation: 5 mins
• Cooking: 6-8 mins
• Serves: 5

What you need:

For the chicken:

• 2 large skinless boneless chicken breasts (about 350g)
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tsp olive oil

For the guacamole:

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1 small clove garlic, crushed
• Juice of 1/2 a lime, or to taste
• A shake of chilli sauce, i.e. Tabasco (optional)
• A tablespoon of finely chopped coriander
• Salt & freshly ground black pepper

For the quesadillas:

• 6 large soft tortillas (wraps)
• A small tin of sweetcorn, drained (120g)
• A handful of cherry tomatoes, quartered
• 3 spring onions, chopped
• 250g mature cheddar cheese, grated
• 2 Pink Lady apples, cored & thinly sliced
• 3 tbsp creme fraiche or sour cream
• A little vegetable oil for frying

What you do:

1. Score the chicken breasts deeply two or three times and add to a shallow dish. Sprinkle over the spices and thyme and season with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle over the olive oil and rub the chicken all over, working the marinade well into the cuts. Set aside in the fridge to marinate for a couple of hours, overnight is fine if you have time.
2. Make the guacamole by mashing the avocado in a bowl along with the rest of the ingredients. Season to taste with salt and pepper and chilli and mix until you have a desired consistency, smooth or a little lumpy. Set aside.
3. Over a medium-low heat, add a little olive oil in a non-stick frying pan and fry the chicken on both sides until it is well cooked though - about 6-8 minutes on each side depending on thickness. Allow to cool a little and shred or chop into bite sized pieces.
4. Lay out 3 tortillas on the worktop and scatter over the sweetcorn, tomatoes, and spring onions, along with the shredded chicken. Divide the cheese between the three tortillas and arrange the Pink Lady apple slices on top.
5. Take the remaining three tortillas and spread the creme fraiche evenly between them. Lay on top of the filled tortillas and press down firmly making a sandwich. Chill until need - up to 24 hours well wrapped in the fridge is fine - if you are cooking from cold you will need to add a couple of minutes to the cooking time.
6. Over a medium high heat, add a little oil in a frying pan large enough to fit the quesadilla. When it is hot carefully lower in one of the quesadillas and fry for 4-5 minutes until it has crisped up. Using a fish slice, carefully flip over and fry for a further 2-3minutes or so until crisp.
7. Repeat with the other quesadillas, cutting into wedges when crisp. Serve whilst still warm.

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