Spicy Zucchini Quesadillas

Wash and dry the fresh produce. Grate the zucchini on the large side of a box grater. Grate the cheese on the large side of a box grater. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. Cut off and discard the stem of the poblano pepper. Halve lengthwise; remove the ribs and seeds, then small dice. Roughly chop the jalapeño pepper. Thoroughly wash your hands, knife, and cutting board immediately after handling the peppers.

In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the diced poblano pepper in an even layer; season with salt and pepper. Cook, without stirring, 3 to 4 minutes, or until charred. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 2 to 3 minutes, or until softened. Transfer to a bowl. Wipe out the pan.

In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the grated zucchini; season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring frequently, 2 to 3 minutes, or until heated through. Transfer to a large bowl. Add the raisins, grated cheese, sliced white bottoms of the scallions, and as much of the chopped jalapeño pepper as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be. Season with salt and pepper; stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Wipe out the pan.

Place the tortillas on a work surface. Top one half of each tortilla with the filling. Fold the tortillas in half over the filling. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium until hot. Add the quesadillas. Cook 2 to 4 minutes per side, or until lightly browned and the cheese is melted (if the pan seems dry, add a drizzle of olive oil before flipping). Transfer to a plate and immediately season with salt; cover with foil to keep warm.

Pat the steaks dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper on all sides. In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned steaks. Cook, turning occasionally, 8 to 10 minutes for medium-rare (125°F), or until browned and cooked to your desired degree of doneness.* Leaving any browned bits (or fond) in the pan, transfer to a cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes. 

*The USDA recommends a minimum safe cooking temperature of 145°F for steak. Cook the steaks an additional 2 to 3 minutes to achieve this.

In the same pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Crack the eggs into the pan, keeping them separate; season with salt and pepper. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, or until the whites are set and the yolks are cooked to your desired degree of doneness. Turn off the heat.

Meanwhile, to the bowl of cooked poblano pepper, add the sour cream and a drizzle of olive oil. Stir to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Find the lines of muscle (or grain) on the rested steaks; slice crosswise against the grain. Serve the cooked quesadillas topped with the dressed poblano pepper and fried eggs. Serve the sliced steaks on the side. Garnish with the sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!