Griddled Zucchini Sincronizadas & Crispy Cheese Lace
Listen, we are not suffering for dinner. This is what I call 'before someone asks for a snack' math: 20 minutes of effort for a dish that tastes like you ordered it at a tiny Mexico City counter. My oldest kid used to treat zucchini like it was a personal insult until I remembered a trick from my favorite late-night spot back home: the costra. We are taking sweet charred zucchini and corn, locking it between two tortillas, and purposefully letting the Oaxaca cheese spill out onto the hot comal. It hits the heat and creates this crispy, golden cheese lace that no one can resist. (If you do not have Oaxaca cheese, Bodega Mode says low-moisture mozzarella works just fine. Just do not tell my abuela.) What makes these sincronizadas special is that texture contrast—the crunch of the cheesy skirt against the sweet, soft veggies. You are going to finish it with a punchy 2-minute jalapeño crema because we always need bright acid to wake the whole dish up. Taste the crema, add tantito more lime if you need to, then decide, and ándale. You have got a killer meal without breaking a sweat.
Featured Recipe
Griddled Zucchini & Oaxaca "Sincronizadas" with Crispy Cheese Lace
This is weekend lunch math: 20 minutes of effort for a dish that tastes like you ordered it at a tiny Mexico City counter. We're taking sweet charred zucchini and corn, locking it between two tortillas, and letting the Oaxaca cheese spill out onto the hot comal to create a crispy, golden 'costra' (cheese lace). Served with a punchy 2-minute jalapeño crema to cut the richness.
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Timeline
Ingredients
- 2 medium Zucchini(Sliced into thin half-moons so they char quickly without getting mushy)
- 1/2 cup Frozen corn(Thawed. Fresh works too if it's in season!)
- 1 tbsp Olive oil(For the griddle)
- 1/2 tsp Dried Mexican oregano(Crushed between your fingers to wake it up)
- 1/4 tsp Ground cumin
- 1.5 cups Oaxaca cheese(Pulled into strings. Bodega swap: Whole-milk low-moisture mozzarella)
- 4 fajita-size Flour tortillas(Flour gets beautifully flaky for a sincronizada, but good corn tortillas work perfectly too)
- 2 whole Scallions(Thinly sliced, greens and whites)
- 1/3 cup Mexican crema(Sour cream thinned with a splash of milk works in Pantry Mode)
- 1 small Jalapeño(Finely minced. Keep the seeds if you want it loud)
- 1 whole Lime(Juiced)
- 1/2 tsp Kosher salt(Divided use, plus more to taste)
Instructions
- 1
Preheat your comal or a large cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. While it warms up, toss 2 medium zucchini, sliced into thin half-moons and 1/2 cup frozen corn (thawed) in a bowl with 1 tbsp olive oil, 1/2 tsp dried Mexican oregano, 1/4 tsp ground cumin, and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt.
4 min
Tip: Mom math: Do not salt the zucchini until right before it hits the pan, or it'll weep water and steam instead of charring.
- 2
Drop the seasoned zucchini and corn onto the hot griddle in an even layer. Let it sit untouched for 2 minutes to get a good dark char, then toss and cook for another 2-3 minutes until tender but not mushy. Scrape the veggies into a bowl and lower the heat to medium.
5 min
Tip: We want actual browned bits here. Texture contrast is what separates a sad lunch from a great one.
- 3
While the veggies char, make your quick crema. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/3 cup Mexican crema, 1 small jalapeño, finely minced, the juice of 1 whole lime, and 1/4 tsp Kosher salt. Taste it—then decide if it needs more salt. Set aside.
3 min
Tip: This acid-forward finish is mandatory. It cuts right through the rich, buttery cheese crust we're about to make.
- 4
Time to build. Lay 2 of the 4 fajita-size flour tortillas flat on your work surface. Divide half of the 1.5 cups Oaxaca cheese (pulled into strings) between them. Top with the charred zucchini and corn mix, scatter 2 whole scallions, thinly sliced over the veg, and finish with the remaining cheese. Cap with the remaining 2 tortillas.
2 min
Tip: Pulling the Oaxaca into thin strings (like string cheese) helps it melt perfectly and evenly. Don't just chop it into blocks.
- 5
Place the sincronizadas on the medium-heat comal. Press down gently with a spatula. The goal here is for the cheese to melt and actively spill out the sides onto the hot metal. Let it sizzle for 3-4 minutes until the bottom tortilla is deeply golden and the escaped cheese forms a dark, crispy lace (a costra).
4 min
Tip: Do not panic when the cheese hits the pan. That crispy frico edge is the chef's treat. Let it brown; it will release easily when it's crispy.
- 6
Carefully slide your spatula completely under the sincronizada, grabbing the crispy cheese lace too, and confidently flip. Cook the second side for 2-3 minutes until equally golden and crisp. Transfer to a cutting board.
3 min
Tip: If your cheese lace breaks off during the flip, just tuck it back in or eat it immediately. We're not suffering for lunch.
- 7
Let them rest for 1 minute so the molten Oaxaca cheese sets just enough to hold together. Cut into hearty wedges and serve immediately with generous dollops of the jalapeño-lime crema.
2 min
Tip: If you have some crunchy radishes or pickled red onions in the fridge, throw them on the plate for extra brightness.
Chef's Notes
A 'sincronizada' is essentially a two-tortilla quesadilla, usually made with ham and cheese. Doing it with charred zucchini, sweet corn, and pushing the cheese out to form a 'costra' (crust) turns it from a quick bite into a proper, deeply satisfying weekend lunch. The jalapeño crema is non-negotiable—you need the sharp, tangy heat to balance the crispy, fatty cheese.
María “Mari” Santiago
Oaxacan comfort, Brooklyn shortcuts, weeknight bright.
María “Mari” Santiago was born in Oaxaca, where her earliest kitchen memories are measured in scent: chiles toasting on a comal, cinnamon and chocolate blooming in mole, and the warm, nutty snap of a tlayuda folded in half for the walk home. She learned by watching—first her tías, then her abuela—picking up the small, practical rules that never made it into written recipes: how to tell when the garlic is *just* right, how to rescue a too-spicy salsa, and why you always taste the broth before you add the salt. Now in Brooklyn, Mari cooks the food she grew up on while raising two little kids and juggling real-life time limits. Her style is “real flavor, real life”: traditional Oaxacan and everyday Mexican dishes—moles, caldos, frijoles, enfrijoladas, salsas, and crispy tlayudas—made weeknight-friendly with smart shortcuts, brighter salsas, and more vegetables without losing the soul of the dish. She’s not precious about rules, she’s big on swaps, and she’s on a mission to prove that you can cook deeply flavorful Mexican food with what you can actually find at a normal grocery store (and still get dinner on the table before a meltdown). Mari’s recipes read like a friend texting you from the produce aisle: clear, funny, and unpretentious, with a side of abuela wisdom. If there’s a hard-to-find ingredient, she gives you a realistic alternative, tells you what will change (and what won’t), and keeps the focus where it belongs—on food that tastes like home, even when home is a small Brooklyn kitchen.