Chipotle Marinated Chicken and Pine Nut Quesadillas

Ingredients:

For the Chipotle Marinade:
1 cup water
2 chipotle peppers
2 Tbsp jalapeno vinegar
2 Tbsp V-8 juice
1/4 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp hot chili powder
For the Jalapeno Vinegar:
7 large jalapeno peppers
1 clove garlic, peeled
15 to 20 red or green peppercorns
1 pinch salt
1 1/2 cups white vinegar

For the Tomatillos Sauce:
1/2 avocado
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 (4 oz) can tomatillos, crushed

For the chicken:
8 oz boneless chicken meat
12 oz Monterey jack cheese, grated
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
1/2 roma tomato, diced small

Instructions:

Prepare the marinade and tomatillo sauce ahead of time. Place the chicken pieces into the marinade for 30 minutes. While the chicken is marinating, toast the pine nuts in a preheated oven at 350° for about 10 minutes. Watch them closely as they have a high oil content and will burn quickly. Once lightly browned, remove the nuts from the oven and transfer them to a cool dish.

Once marinated, saute the chicken in a non-stick skillet for 4-5 minutes in a small amount of marinade until done. Allow the chicken to cool and cut into small pieces.

To assemble the quesadillas: Place 4 tortillas on a non-stick cookie sheet. Spread grated cheese over each tortilla evenly, about 1/3 of an inch high. Spread equal amounts of the chicken, pine nuts, and tomato on top of the cheese and place the four remaining tortillas on top.

Place the quesadillas into a 350° preheated oven for 7-8 minutes until the cheese has softened and just begins to bubble out the sides.

To serve, cut each quesadilla into 8 pieces with a large knife on a wooden cutting board. Slide the cut quesadilla onto a plate and top each slice with a dollop of the tomatillo sauce.

Chipotle Marinade: Bring 1 cup of water almost to a boil and add the chipotle peppers. Remove from the heat and keep them submerged by placing a small plate or plastic lid on top of them. Allow them to steep in the hot water for 30 minutes. Remove the peppers and reserve the water. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds, ribs, and stem.Put chipotles and the reserved water in a blender and liquefy. Add the vinegar, V-8 juice, spices, and blend.

Store in a glass bottle in the refrigerator for up to 10 days.

For the vinegar: Make a once inch slice from the bottom up, into each jalapeno pepper and place them into a one pint jar with the garlic, peppercorns, and the salt. Bring the vinegar to a boil and pour into the jar, covering the peppers. Allow to cool for 1 hour. Cover and store in a cool place out of direct sunlight. The vinegar is ready to use in 24 hours, and will last and improve for about 2 months.

For the Tomatillo Sauce: Remove the pit from the avocado and scoop the fruit out with a soup spoon. Place the avocado, the sour cream, and the tomatillos in a food processor or blender and puree until smooth. Store in a sealed plastic container in the refrigerator. Best used the day it is made, but will last for up to four days.