Family favourite: Bean quesadillas recipe
We love bean quesadillas for a great weeknight meal. All the ingredients for the bean mix come from the pantry so it’s an excellent throw-together option.
These quesadillas are also a brilliant lunchbox addition the next day. We make ours without cheese, but feel free to add some before you assemble them if your gang are the cheesy kind.
- Makes : 4
- Prep time : 14 mins
- Cooking time : 50 mins
Bean quesadillas ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed or grated
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 1 × 400 g (14 oz) tin diced tomatoes
- 2 × 400 g (14 oz) tins red kidney beans, drained and rinsed, or 210 g (7½ oz/1 cup) dried kidney beans, soaked and cooked (see Note)
- 8 tortillas
- cheddar cheese, grated (optional)
- lime wedges, to serve (optional)
- 25 g (4½ oz/½ cup) plain or Greek yoghurt, or sour cream
- 2 slices pickled jalapeño chilli
- For salsa: 100 g (3½ oz/½ cup) corn kernels (tinned or frozen), 1 finely diced shallot, 1 chopped tomato, 8 fresh coriander (cilantro) sprigs, leaves chopped
Method
- Heat the oil in a saucepan and cook the onion and garlic over a medium heat for 10 minutes.
- Add the cumin and coriander, stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add 1 tablespoon water if needed to stop the spices burning.
- Add the tomatoes, kidney beans and salt and pepper to taste.
- Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally. The mix needs to be quite dry. If doubling up the recipe, split the mixture in two and allow the extra meal to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight before freezing for later use.
- Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat. Place a tortilla in the pan and spread a few tablespoons of the bean mixture on top. Add the grated cheese, if using. Place another tortilla on top and press down with a spatula, turn over and cook until golden. Alternatively, use a sandwich press or the oven grill. If cooking under the grill, flip to crisp the other side.
- To make the salsa, combine the corn, shallot, tomato and coriander, then set aside.
- To serve, cut the quesadillas into quarters, transfer to a plate and top with salsa, yoghurt and jalapeño chilli. Serve with lime wedges, if desired.
Notes
Cooking beans for yourself?
Soak dried beans overnight, then rinse. Place in a saucepan with plenty of cold water. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer until tender (at least 30 minutes). Note that 105 g (3½ oz/½ cup) dried beans is equal to 400 g (14 oz) cooked tinned beans.
Also?
A tablespoon of the pickling liquid from the jalapeño chillies can be added to the bean mix for extra flavour. This recipe is also great as a nacho mix topped with lettuce, diced tomatoes and sour cream or yoghurt.
This is an edited extract from The Plan, Buy, Cook Book by Jen Petrovic and Gaby Chapman published by Hardie Grant Books $29.99 and is available where all good books are sold.
Photographer: © Bec Hudson
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