Cooking with Rena Lee

Yield:4

INGREDIENTS:

1 lb	tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 1/2 tsp	salt
1 tsp	freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp	unsalted butter
1/2	yellow onion, chopped
15 oz can	crushed tomatoes, drained
1 1/2 lb	fresh crabmeat (3 cups)
1 bunch	green onions, chopped, including green parts

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat the oven to 200`F with a baking sheet inside.
In a large pot of salted boiling water, blanch the tomatillos for 3-4 minutes, until the skins appear tight and shiny. Drain. In a blender, puree the tomatillos until smooth. Season with 1 tsp each of salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a saucepan, melt 2 tbsp of the butter over medium heat and saute the onion for 3 minutes, or until translucent. Add the crushed tomatoes and the remaining 1/2 tsp salt and simmer for 15 minutes, or until thickened. Set aside.
In a small bowl, mix the crabmeat with half the green onions, the sour cream, cumin, cayenne pepper, and chile powder.
In a large, nonstick skillet, melt 1/2 tbsp of the butter over medium-high heat. Place a flour tortilla in the skillet and spread one-fourth of the crab mixture over half of the tortilla.
Lay a green chile on top of the crab, then top with 1/4 cup of the grated cheese.
Fold the tortilla in half and cook for 1 1/2 - 2 1/2 minutes on each side, or until the tortilla is golden brown and the cheese is completely melted.
Transfer to the baking sheet in the oven to keep warm while preparing the remaining quesadillas. (If you have a large, nonstick double-burner grill pan, you can prepare all 4 quesadillas at once.)
Serve the quesadillas, whole or halved, with the tomatillos and tomato sauces over the top or on the sides. Top each quesadilla with one-fourth of the lettuce, sour cream, and remaining green onions.