These super simple Smokey Black Bean Quesadillas can be thrown together in just 20 minutes and make a fantastic fun weeknight meal for the whole family. They also make a lovely leftover lunch so it's always worth making a few more for the next day.
Black Beans are a staple ingredient in Mexican cooking and are great alternative for a meat-free nutritious filling. If you can't get hold of black beans then just substitute with whatever beans you've got e.g borlotti, cannelini, any will work. I usually serve these up with a dish of homemade guacamole which complements them nicely.
INGREDIENTS - MAKES 8-10 quesadillas
1 pepper
1 red onion
1 small tin of sweetcorn
2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon chipotle chilli flakes (or whatever you have)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tin of black beans (drained)
Cheese, grated (approx 1/4 of a block, but to your preference)
Rapeseed oil
Fresh coriander
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pack of wraps (2 quesadillas per wrap)
DIRECTIONS
Place a pan on medium heat with a tablespoon of rapeseed oil. Finely chop the pepper and onion and add them to the pan. Cook for a few minutes until softened, then add the minced garlic and stir for 1 minute.
Mix in the smoked paprika, oregano, chilli flakes, garlic, and a pinch of salt and pepper, and leave on a medium heat for another 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, microwave the sweetcorn according to the instructions and set aside.
Drain the black beans, getting rid of any excess water and add them to the pan. After 2 minutes on the heat, use a potato masher to lightly mash the beans, whilst still leaving some texture to the mix. Add some chopped fresh coriander then season generously with salt and pepper to taste and remove from the heat.
Place a frying pan on a medium/high heat and add a tiny amount of oil to the pan. Place a single tortilla wrap in the pan. Cover one half of the wrap with a layer of cheese, spoon some black bean mixture on top, scatter over a spoonful of sweetcorn kernels and finish off with an extra sprinkling of cheese. Fold the empty half of the tortilla over the top of the filled side and lightly press to spread the filling evenly.
Cook for 2-3 minutes then flip the quesadilla and let the wrap crisp up on the other side. Remove from the heat when the wrap is golden and the cheese is melted. Slice in half and repeat with as many wraps as you can. I tend to put the oven on low and keep the finished wraps in there until all are finished to keep them nice and hot.
Serve up with any sides/dips that you fancy such as guacamole, sour cream or salsa.
Any left over quesadillas will keep in the fridge for up to five days. As ever if you give this a try then do let me know how it turns out and feel free to tag me on instagram/twitter. Happy cooking :)