Turkey Quesadillas with Sesame-Sweet Potato Mole Sauce

Normally, a good mole (pronounced 'MO-lay') takes a good hour or so to throw together. This came from a cookbook about pairing wine with food and the author cites Rick Bayless (god of Mexican cooking in America) as being the actual author of the mole recipe.

Aside from roasting the potatoes (which took 45 minutes at 440F), this is incredibly easy and quick to put together and the taste was out of this world. I seared off the turkey after having seasoned them with some salt, pepper, cumin and cayenne.

The fresh cilantro on top REALLY makes a difference and when I do this next time, I'll be sure to put a little more on it.

½ cup sesame seeds
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for oiling the pans and brushing the tortillas
2 medium onions, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 jalapeno pepper, fresh or canned, roughly chopped
½ cup cilantro, chopped
½ cup parsley leaves, chopped
1 cup chicken or vegetable broth, plus more if necessary
2 large sweet potatoes, cooked, peeled and cut into chunks (about 1 1/2 cups)
kosher salt
12 flour tortillas
1 ½ cups turkey pieces (cooked chicken or pork may be substituted), cooked, bite-sized pieces
5 ounces Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese, shredded

Place the sesame seeds in a small, heavy skillet and heat on medium, stirring, until browned and fragrant. Transfer to a small bowl to cool. Reserve 2 teaspoons of seeds for garnish.

In the same skillet, heat the oil on medium. Add the onions, garlic, and jalapeno and cook, stirring, until the onions are just soft, about 7 minutes.

Combine the sesame seeds minus the 2 reserved teaspoons, the onion mixture, cilantro, parsley, and 1 cup broth in a blender. Puree until very smooth. This may take several minutes. To test, rub a drop between two fingers. The mixture should be smooth, not gritty.

Add the cooked sweet potatoes and blend until the mixture is the consistency of applesauce, adding more broth if necessary. Add salt to taste. (The mole will keep in the refrigerator in an airtight container for several days.)

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the mole in a medium saucepan over low heat and gently warm while you prepare the quesadillas.

Lightly oil 2 baking sheets, and place 3 tortillas on each. Distribute the turkey pieces and cheese evenly on the 6 tortillas, and top with the remaining 6 tortillas. Brush the tops lightly with oil and cover with foil. Bake for 6 minutes. Remove the foil, press down on the tops of the tortillas with the back of a spatula to compact the melting cheese, and bake until the tortillas begin to brown slightly, about 4 minutes longer. Serve immediately, topped with the warm mole sauce and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds.