Cheese and Onion Quesadillas with Black Bean, Avocado and Grape Tomato Salsa
Posted in Avocado, Beans, Cheese, Cilantro, Dinner, Entree, Modifiable, Quick & Easy, Tomatoes, Vegetarian on June 4th, 2010 by Melinda – 212 Comments
This is one of those "good no matter what mood I am in" meals.
When I talk to people about cooking a lot and eating healthier, the biggest complaint that comes up is a lack of time. And, with an hour commute (each way) to a 9-hour workday, I am quite familiar with this problem. As a result, I’ve created a new category which you can access from the drop-down menu on the right called “Quick & Easy” so that everyone can find ideas for fast, easy and delicious food to make on those nights when all you really want to do is flop on the couch. This is one of those meals and, can I say, really hit the spot last night.
Ingredients:
Quesadillas
8 tortillas of choice
8 oz. shredded cheese of choice (I like Tillamook’s kosher cheddar)
1/2 large red onion, diced
Olive oil
Salsa
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 pint grape tomatoes, washed and sliced in half
1 avocado, cut into small dice
3-4 tablespoon chopped cilantro
Juice of 3 small limes
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat about one tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet. Add onions and saute until translucent and just beginning to brown, about five minutes. I usually use this time to wash the veggies and grate the cheese. Relocate to a small bowl.
Reheat the skillet and place one tortilla flat on the bottom. Cover with one-third of the sauteed onions and desired amount of cheese. Top with another tortilla. Cook quesadilla until bottom tortilla begins to brown and cheese is melty, about two minutes with a skillet on medium heat. Flip and brown the other tortilla, about the same amount of time or a little less. While quesadilla is cooking, I like to chop the veggies. Repeat with the other two quesadillas.
To make the salsa, simply mix the ingredients together and season to taste. Serves 4 people with one quesadilla each topped with a generous dose of salsa. If you’d prefer a little more spice, some minced garlic and jalapeno would definitely liven up the salsa, but I was aiming for simple and good. This recipe could also be made vegan by substituting vegan cheese for the cheddar.