Roasted Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven, then preheat to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Line a sheet pan with aluminum foil. Cut the sweet potato into ¼-inch-thick rounds. Place on the foil. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and half the spice blend (you will have extra); toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer. Roast 18 to 20 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven.

While the sweet potato roasts, peel and thinly slice the shallot. Quarter the lime. Grate the cheddar cheese on the large side of a box grater. Roughly chop the piquante peppers. Pit, peel, and thinly slice the avocado. Place in a bowl and top with the juice of 1 lime wedge to prevent browning; season with salt and pepper. Cut off and discard the root end of the lettuce; roughly chop the leaves. Roughly chop the jalapeño pepper. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling.

While the sweet potato continues to roast, in a small pot, combine the sliced shallot, sugar, the juice of the remaining lime wedges, and ¼ cup of water; season with salt and pepper. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, cook, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside to cool, stirring occasionally, for at least 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

While the shallot cools, place the tortillas on a work surface. Top one side of the tortillas with half the grated cheddar cheese, the roasted sweet potato, the chopped piquante peppers, and as much of the chopped jalapeño pepper as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Top with the remaining grated cheddar cheese; season with salt and pepper. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil on medium until hot. Working in batches if necessary, add the quesadillas and cook 2 to 3 minutes per side, or until the tortillas are lightly browned and the cheese is melted. Transfer to a cutting board and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 2 minutes, then cut in half.

Just before serving, reserving the liquid, transfer the pickled shallot to a large bowl. Add the chopped lettuce and half the reserved pickling liquid (you will have extra liquid); season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and toss to combine; season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve the cooked quesadillas with the salad on the side. Top the salad with the seasoned avocado. Garnish with the Cotija cheese. Enjoy!