Smashed Black Bean Quesadillas

This was another recipe from Heidi’s book, Cook 1.0: a Fresh Approach to the Vegetarian Kitchen. It was written by Heidi Swanson who has the fabulous site/blog, 101 Cookbooks. In this cookbook, she provides 4 different quesadilla recipe ideas, including the following one for smashed black beans. To make this quesadilla, I made her homemade tortillas recipe using whole wheat flour, omitted the corn kernels and added more colorful bell peppers.

1 15oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 red mini sweet bell pepper, diced
1 orange mini sweet bell pepper, diced
1 yellow mini sweet bell pepper, diced
1 avocado, cut into small cubes
1 cup crumbled queso fresco
a squeeze of lime juice
cooking spray
homemade (or store bought) tortillas

In a medium bowl, add the beans and smash them a bit against the side of the bowl. Then add the diced bell peppers, avocado, queso fresco and lime juice. Gently toss together to combine.

Place a skillet over medium-low heat. Spray the bottom of the pan with cooking spray. Place one tortilla in the pan and add enough of the bean and cheese mixture to create a thin layer across the bottom of the tortilla. Place another tortilla on top, forming a sandwich.

Cook the quesadilla until the bottom is golden brown. Flip, and cook the other side until browned – the second side always cooks faster. Use the remaining filling to make more quesadillas.

I’m also submitting this recipe to Rachana’s Healthy Bite Blogging Event, featuring healthy appetizer recipes! Be sure to check out the blog, The Gourmet Launchpad at the end of the month for the healthy & delicious round up!