Cheese quesadilla with meat sauce and fresh salsa

Ingredients:

Taco

• 700 g of ground beef
• 3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 tbsp chili seasoning
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt, or more, to taste
• 0.5 tsp cayenne pepper
• Butter, for frying
• 8 corn tortillas
• 340 gr. grated cheese
• Shredded green salad for serving

Pico de gallo (fresh salsa)

• 5 plum tomatoes
• 3 jalapeño peppers
• Half a large or 1 small onion
• 1 bunch of cilantro
• Juice of half a lime

Preparation:

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the ground beef for 5-8 minutes. Drain any excess fat. Add the tomato paste. chili powderAdd the cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, and 1 cup of water and stir. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until thickened, 8-10 minutes. Keep the sauce warm.
2. Heat another skillet over medium heat. Grease the bottom with butter and place a tortilla in the skillet. Top with a little cheese and cover with another tortilla. Cook until the bottom of the quesadilla is golden brown and the cheese is melted, about 2 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for another 1-2 minutes. Transfer the quesadilla to a plate and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and cheese, adding more butter if needed.
3. Top each quesadilla with a generous dollop of beef sauce, shredded lettuce, and Pico de Gallo.
   
   Pico de GalloFinely dice the tomatoes, jalapeño, and onion. (For a spicier salsa, leave the seeds on the peppers. For a milder flavor, remove the seeds.) Then finely chop the cilantro, cutting off any thick, long stems. Don't remove the leaves completely from the thin stems. Place all of these ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Squeeze the juice of half a lime into the same bowl. Season with salt and mix again.