So there is a weird thing that I do with menu planning that often catches me off guard. I rarely look at how the current month ends as I'm planning the next one. Hence, we occasionally get a duplicate recipe (or at least something close), or thematically similar dishes.Which is the case for this April/May. We ended April with Pineapple Fried Rice, and started May with Korean Beef Quesadillas. No, the flavors weren't really that similar, but they did share several ingredients in common, and both definitely have an Asian flair. We love that kind of thing, so there were no complaints at the dinner table.
First, the fried rice. I loved the addition of pineapple! It was a perfect addition to the fried rice, and would make this dish partner so well with teriyaki chicken or something similar. I baked my rice the day ahead of time, did a little chopping the day of, and then dinner was ready pretty fast.
Second, we had quesadillas. I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one. Theoretically, these were all flavors we've tried and liked, but then again, you can never be exactly sure how everything will come together. I made a modified quantity version (who uses 1.5 pounds of ground beef anyway? It comes by the pound. I did about 2/3 of all the ingredients.) It was super fast to brown the meat and get the sauce mixture in, much faster than I expected. Then I pulled out the griddle and did two large quesadillas on that. I hate babysitting the stove to fry separate batches. These turned out great! I probably could have added more cheese (I usually think that), and I definitely could have added more green onion--I only had one left in the veggie drawer. Even the kiddo enjoyed them, and she was reminiscing about the food we had for the last Olympics party.Despite the fact that the Kentucky Derby and Cinco de Mayo are rapidly approaching, I recommend both of these dishes the next time you are looking for something with a little Asian flair. You won't regret it!
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