Recipes of the season, Christmas 2012 - Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Oysters and Leftover Turkey Quesadillas

Happy Holidays, everyone! Here are a couple of my favorite festive season recipes. Enjoy!

Bacon-Wrapped Oysters

Makes 4–6 appetizer-sized portions

This simple, old-fashioned way to grill oysters makes a great party appetizer.

1 pint | 500 mL container of large, fresh, shucked oysters
(about a dozen oysters)
1/4 lb | 125 g thinly sliced bacon, each slice cut in half
kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Barbecue sauce or Louisiana-style hot sauce
           
Fry the bacon over medium heat in a heavy skillet until it’s cooked but not quite crispy. Place the cooked bacon strips on a paper towel and set them aside.
Prepare your grill for direct high heat. Drain the oysters and pat them dry with a paper towel. Wrap half a slice of cooked bacon around each oyster, skewering it with a wooden toothpick. Place the oysters on the cooking grate and grill them for 2 or
3 minutes per side, or until the bacon crisps and the oysters are cooked through and just starting to char. Remove them from the heat, place them on a platter, season them with salt and pepper, and pass them around with a bottle of hot sauce or some barbecue sauce in a little bowl for dipping.


Leftover Turkey Quesadillas

This is a superb, easy way to continue enjoying Christmas flavours and and excuse to fire up your grill over the holidays.

Ingredients:

Large wheat flour tortillas
Leftover turkey, shredded or chopped
Cranberry sauce
Monterey jack cheese, grated (mozzarella would also do)
Gouda cheese, grated (cheddar or any other flavourful, salty cheese would work great)
Thinly sliced jalapeño chile (or some of your favorite hot sauce)
Chopped parsley (optional)
Anything else that’s leftover from Christmas dinner, chopped up (Brussels sprouts, mashed potato, stuffing)
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Place a large flour tortilla on a cutting board or cookie sheet and cover half of it with a 1/4-inch | 5 mm layer of cheese – a mix of the jack and Gouda.

Layer on the toppings, taking care to distribute them evenly. Sprinkle the toppings with salt, pepper, and a little hot sauce or some slice jalapeños to taste. Coat the toppings with another thin layer of the grated cheeses. Fold over the tortilla and it’s ready to hit the grill.

To cook, preheat your charcoal or gas grill to a medium-high heat. Place the quesadilla directly on the grill and cook it for 2 or 3 minutes, until the cheese starts to melt and the tortilla is toasted and slightly charred. Flip it with a big spatula and cook the other side for another 2 or 3 minutes. Take it off the grill, place it on a cutting board, and let it rest for a minute or two. Cut it into pizza-like slices with a big sharp knife.
 
Accompany the quesadillas with fresh salsa, guacamole, and sour cream for dipping. Quesadillas can also easily be made on a stovetop or on the propane burner on the side of your grill in a large, lightly oiled skillet over medium-high heat. You can prepare the quesadillas in advance and keep them covered and refrigerated for an hour or two before grilling (if you try to keep them overnight, however, the tortillas will get soggy).