Yam and Pepita Quesadillas

Speaking of Yam and Pepita Quesadillas...you didn't think I was just going to leave you hanging with Maple Chipotle sauce and no recipe for the quesadillas, did you? Actually, these quesadillas were one of the first recipes on this site. I know many of you (well, all of you except my mother) have not been around here that long and probably don't go digging around in the archives. I thought it was time to bring them back out of hiding with a fresh new look. These quesadillas are a staple around here, especially this time of year. 

David made these quesadillas for me when we first met. He was living in Victoria, BC at the time and I was in Port Townsend, Washington. I remember thinking that he was pretty inventive to come up with such a great combination. The funny part was no less than two days later I was with a friend waiting in line for the ferry to Seattle and she happened to have the Rebar cookbook in her car. Rebar is a small restaurant in Victoria and the cookbook was pretty new at that time. She told me I should check it out and there were a lot of good recipes in it. I couldn't believe it when I saw the recipe for Yam and Pepita Quesadillas in the book. What are the chances? Occasionally I will change things up and add some black beans for a little protein boost, once we had some leftover pulled pork and that was really good too. I love how adaptable quesadillas are for leftovers. When I know it's going to be a busy week I will roast a bunch of the yams in advance for a good, quick lunch on the fly.

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Yam and Pepita Quesadillas
adapted from Rebar Modern Food Cookbook

2 large yams
1 bunch scallions, chopped
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 tortillas
1/3 cup Maple-Chipotle Sauce
sour cream and salsa for serving

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Peel the yams and slice into 1/4" thick pieces.  Spread them out (they can be touching, but not overlapping) on a parchment-lined or lightly oiled baking sheet and roast until tender and golden (about 20 minutes). Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium high heat. To assemble the quesadillas, spread a thin layer of maple-chipotle sauce over the surface of tortilla (only spread on half if you like a little less spice), sprinkle with 1/4 of the the cheese, scallions, and pepitas. Add one layer of the roasted yams on half of the tortilla. Fold tortilla in half and place in skillet. Heat through until the cheese melts and the tortilla is crisp and light brown in color. Flip tortilla and brown the second side. Slide onto a baking sheet and keep warm in a low temperature oven while preparing the remaining quesadillas.Cut quesadillas into quarters and serve with sour cream and your favorite salsa.