Southwestern

By EdieK

Preparation

Step 1

The quesadillas and corn are reason enough to fire up the grill—both are insanely addictive. Just make sure you have a cooler of good Mexican beer close at hand.

Appetizer: Grilled shrimp fajita slaw
Grill a pound of large shrimp, two sliced red bell peppers, two onions, and an avocado, pulling off the shrimp as they turn opaque and the vegetables as they brown. Chop everything while it's still warm, and toss with a head of shredded Napa cabbage and some chopped cilantro. Drizzle with olive oil and the juice of a lime, and toss again.

Main: Grilled mushroom quesadillas
Grill whole button mushrooms until they're dried and browned. (Sprinkle on salt and pepper as they cook.) Chop them. Lay four large flour tortillas on the grill and top each with mushrooms and grated Jack cheese. When the tortillas soften, fold them in half. Remove when they're crisp outside. Cut into triangles and serve with salsa on the side.

Side: Grilled corn with chipotle mayo
Combine 1/4 cup of mayo with 1 canned chipotle chili, chopped, along with some of the liquid from the can, mashing as you stir. Add the juice of a lime and a pinch of salt (and more chili if you'd like). Grill ears of corn over a hot fire until they're charred but not mushy or dry. Shuck them, and spread the mayo all over them while they're still hot.

Dessert: Smoky dulce de leche over vanilla ice cream
In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of brown sugar, 1/2 stick of butter, 1 cup of dark rum, and a vanilla bean or a splash of vanilla extract. Set the pan over the fire so the butter melts and bubbles gently to thicken. Drizzle while warm over scoops of vanilla ice cream.