Grilled Paprika Shrimp Quesadillas

 I love quesadillas! They are simple yet versatile and about 99% of the time I have the main ingredients on hand; tortillas and cheese! When I saw this Rachael Ray recipe a few weeks ago I knew I had to make this. Although, to be honest the thought of grilling a quesadilla was a bit daunting, and all I could imagine is the insides falling out of the quesadillas onto the sizzling hot grill grates. Thankfully, I expressed my concerns to my husband and with his help we conquered this dish together!

I had never thought to put chunks of avocado inside a quesadilla, but figured it couldn't hurt. The flavors inside this veggie packed quesadilla were robust and made me instantly realize that summer has arrived! 


Source: Rachael Ray
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 5-10 minutes
Servings: 6


Ingredients: 
1 lb large shrimp, shelled and deveined
Extra virgin olive oil, for drizzling
1-1/2 teaspoons smoked sweet paprika
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper
juice of 1 lime
1 slightly under ripe avocado, pitted, removed rom skin and very thinly sliced or diced
1/2 lemon, juiced
8 large tortillas, heated to soften slightly
2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
4 scallions, very thinly sliced or chopped
2-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
cooking spray
*skewers


Directions:
1. Pre-heat an outdoor grill, indoor griddle or grill pan to medium-high heat.

2. Dress the shrimp lightly in EVOO, then season with the smoked sweet paprika, onion powder and garlic powder; season with salt and pepper. Thread the shrimp onto metal skewers. Grill until pink and firm, about 2 minutes on each side. Douse with the lime juice, then remove the shrimp from the skewers and chop; sprinkle with the cilantro or parsley. Dress the avocado with the lemon juice.

3. Build the quesadillas on the tortillas in assembly line fashion: On one half of each tortilla, arrange the shrimp, tomatoes, scallions, avocado and cheese. Fold over the other tortilla half, then spray lightly with cooking spray. Grill, turning once, until crisp and the cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges and serve.