Shrimp and Corn Quesadillas with Pico de Gallo

I have three and a half more weeks of lovely summer vacation, and I am savoring every second of it! Today, after finishing this post, I plan to take a leisurely trip to the market(s). I'll stroll the aisles, in no hurry at all, admiring all the bounty summer brings. Besides spending as much time as I possibly can lost in groceryland, I have several things I want to accomplish during my break. (I figured if I told you about them, I would be much more motivated to follow through.) Naturally, both involve this blog.

My first goal is to create an attractive header. I'm tired of looking at a blank page with stiff type. We need to liven things up. Second, I plan to compile a recipe archive for ease of navigation. The labels are a helpful feature, but I will create a separate page that will list every recipe by category and include links to find them. I'm not sure how hard this task will be or how I'm going to do it. But I will, and soon!

So there you have it, my summer resolutions for blog improvement. I have other goals (such as cooking all those intricate recipes that piled up during school) but I'll keep them to myself. I wouldn't want you judging me when the end of summer bliss rolls around and I didn't finish a dang one. In all truthfulness, I will feel completely satisfied with my summer no matter what I do, as long as nothing school related crosses my mind. It's a mental break- an escape from responsibility and seriousness and deadlines. And hopefully accompanied by good food, great friends, and sunshine.

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. butter
1 onion, chopped
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 clove garlic, minced
2/3 cup tomato, chopped
1 tsp. jalapeno, minced
1/2 lb. raw shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
4 very large or 8 small whole wheat flour tortillas
1-2 cups mozzarella and/or Mexican blend cheese, shredded
Pico de Gallo, for topping (recipe below)

Pico de Gallo:
3 tomatoes, diced
1/2 white onion, diced
jalapeno, diced, to taste
cilantro, chopped, to taste
1-2 limes, juiced
1 clove garlic, minced (optional)
salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add onion, corn, garlic, and jalapeno and saute until tender. Add shrimp, tomato, lime juice, and cilantro and cook until shrimp are opaque (about 3 minutes). Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat.

2. Preheat griddle or nonstick skillet over medium heat. Place 1 tortilla on the surface and cover with cheese. Cover entire tortilla (if using small) or half the tortilla (if using large) with the shrimp mixture. Top with second (small) tortilla or fold over other half of (large) tortilla once the cheese has melted. Flip halfway through. Once the cheese has completely melted and it is warmed through, remove from the heat. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Use a pizza slicer to cut quesadilla into triangles. Top with pico de gallo and serve.

3. To make pico de gallo, toss tomato, onion, jalapeno, garlic (optional) and cilantro in lime juice. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 quesadillas.

(Adapted from Cooking Light)