frijoledillas (black bean quesadillas, hold the queso)

Quesadilla translates to “little cheesey thing”. I didn't realize that I wasn't making cheesey little things until writing out the ingredients today! Good thing; I doubt my husband would have been as excited had I announced “queso-free quesadillas” for dinner. Though not intended to be dairy-free, (take note of the big dollops of Greek yogurt in there) you certainly can make it that way by substituting a dairy-free yogurt, or just omit it all together. But I must say that the creamy texture with the thick bean purée and rough corn tortillas make a fabulous pairing, so go for it!

And if you really wanna go for it, add the sour cream and cheddar from the recipe that inspired my own. I haven't made anything from Yotam Ottolenghi's Plenty, but it's one of my favorite cookbooks, as the photography is just so beautiful and all the well-crafted recipes really encourage me to prepare vegetables in different ways. I can't wait to get my hands on his latest, Jerusalem!

xoCy

makes 8 small corn “quesadillas”

GF/SF/VEG

INGREDIENTS:

1 15-oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 bunch cilantro, leaves and stalks
Juice of 1 lime
Salsa
Opt: 1 avocado, diced
8 small corn tortillas
Greek-style yogurt
Cooking spray
Opt: hot sauce
Opt: shredded lettuce (I like green leaf or romaine), sliced radishes

EQUIPMENT:

Food processor
Cutting surface & knife
Large skillet
Spatula

METHOD:

Preheat a large skillet on medium-high heat. Spritz with cooking spray. Preheat your oven to 200°F, and place a large baking sheet inside.
Make a paste by pulsing the first 6 ingredients together in a food processor. Set aside. Have your salsa nearby, or do as I did and make a quick batch with tomatoes, minced garlic & spring onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt, oregano, and ground cumin. You can also add diced avocado to your salsa.
Set out 4 of the tortillas on a working surface. Spoon about 2 Tbsp of the black bean paste into the center of each tortilla. Don't spread all the way to the edges. Spoon a bit of Greek yogurt on top of the beans, followed by the salsa. Top each with another tortilla.
Carefully cook each one at a time on the skillet, about 2 – 3 minutes per side. To keep the cooked ones warm, place each on the baking sheet in the oven.
Cut into quarters, and serve with hot sauce, more Greek yogurt, salsa, shredded lettuce, and radishes.