Sunday, July 29, 2007

Black Bean and Cheese Quesadillas

Who doesn’t like these crunchy cheese bites offered at any Mexican or Tex-Mex restaurants? Well, we all do. My only complaint when I eat outside at any restaurant is the amount of cheese and oil that they load into everything. Of course, any thing that is showered with oil and bombed with cheese is going to taste remarkable, right?

So the challenge in home cooking for me is to keep the taste neat while maintaining a low calorie level and at the same time, to fulfill the requirements of a balanced meal. Additionally, everyday meals need to be ready within 30-40 minutes.When I started cooking at home, this was not a simple task ….in fact, this was like a gigantic challenge for me! That’s when seasonings stepped in my life. I am not a big fan of spicy meals (‘cos that’s not good for your tummy either!), but I have realized how a thoughtful combination of a pinch of this and a pinch of that can make your family and guests want more. Also, I generally try and avoid using canned foods on an everyday basis. Pressure cookers offer a big helping hand in avoiding canned foods and speeding up the cooking time.

Here is a low calorie take on the black bean and cheese quesadillas with a marvelous combination of taco and fajita seasoning. Wait! There is more—they are cooked under 30 minutes and topped with “NO” fat sour cream. This is my entry for the Summer Express Cooking Event started by Mallugirl. Try a bite….

Ingredients:

4 soft taco size flour tortillas
1 small onion cut into thin strips
1 medium tomato diced
1 jalapeno pepper, thinly sliced
½ cup cooked and mashed black beans (You can substitute this for re-fried or pinto beans)
¼ cup shredded American or Cheddar cheese (I used Tomme Noire des Pyrenees Cheese bought during our recent vacation in France)
½ tsp taco seasoning
1 tsp fajita seasoning
4-5 tbs sour cream
4-5 tbs salsa
4-5 tbs guacamole
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp oil

Method:

1. Soak the black beans overnight in water. The next morning, strain the water and pressure cook the beans well with some water. Mash the cooked beans, roughly. If you are pressed for time, you could also use pre-cooked canned beans.
2. In a saute pan, heat some oil. Add the jalapeno peppers and onions and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes and cook until they are soft. Add the beans, seasoning and salt. Saute the mixture for about 10 minutes.
3. Heat a griddle and place a tortilla on it. (You can heat as many tortillas at a time as your griddle can accommodate)
4. Place some cheese on one half of the tortilla. Add the onion, tomatoes and beans cooked together on top of the cheese. Top with a little more cheese.
5. Fold the tortilla over. Bake until the base turns golden brown.
6. Flip over and finish the other side in the same way.

Serving:

Cut the quesadillas into 2 quarter pieces. Top with some sour cream and extra seasoning if desired. Serve with a side of guacamole and/or salsa.

31 comments:

Roopa said...

wow mouthwatering quesadillas with beans.... nice one!

Sampada said...

hey.. ur blog is really very nice & informative!! I would like to propagate it amongst my friends.. hope u don't mind it, lemme know :)

Minik Kus said...

I love quesadilla. Thanks for the great recipe! It is vegeterian, I love it :)

Viji said...

Lovely entry Poonam. Viji

Tee said...

Love mexican food...in fact just had dinner at my fav. mexican restaurant:) this looks like a great guilt-free recipe!

J said...

Nice one! I sent some black eyed bean cutlets to Mallugirl too!

SeeC said...

Perfect Mexican dish. Looks very rich and inviting.
Thanks for the post.

Poonam said...

Hey Roopa, Sampada, Minik Kus, Viji, Tee, Jyothsna & SeeC, thanks for you comments. Please feel free to share it with your friends! I hope you enjoyed it!

Shah cooks said...

hey, nice entry! u are right, the restaurant ones are loaded with fat.

FH said...

Hi Poonam,I love Black beans dishes,usually make Black bean Enchiladas.Quesadilla looks yummy!Great entry!:)

Richa said...

quesadilla - the quick n' tasty dish, looks YUM :)

Coffee said...

COOL!!! This is my kinda food! Fab pic there! :)

Mishmash ! said...

your posts are always pretty and unique :) and thats deft'ly a summer express :)

Poonam said...

Hi Shaheen,Asha, Richa, Coffee & Mishmah, thanks for stopping by and commenting. Quesadillas are really quick and I tried to stay away from the precooked beans because one of the many negatives about canned products is the amount of preservatives and salt used. One aim of Summer Express Cooking event is a quick yet a balanced healthy meal!

bee said...

true comfort food!!!

M'nMs said...

Nice recipe! And here I am waiting to make 'mexican' macaroni for my family who are visting. Very similar to your quesadilla recipe, except - am probably taking the short route and using canned beans this time.

Deborah said...

I love quesadillas!!

Athika said...

Love mexican food. Definetely making for dinner. Thanks for sharing.

Roopa (KitchenAromas) said...

Great looking quesadillas! I usually throw some sauteed veggies in mine, but I'll try with just beans next time.

Linda said...

Sour cream, guac (oh, my favorite!!) and cheese, yum! Can't go wrong here :) Great recipe Poonam. Came in from your comment at my blog -- thanks for visting! :)

Sharmi said...

hmmmm that looks delicious. have to try them out sometime.

Poonam said...

Hey Bee, M&Ms, Deb, Athika, Roopa, Linda & Sharmi. Thanks for your comments..M & Ms: whats Mexican macaroni?? would love to know more...

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

Thanks for dropping by my site Poonam. Now I have discovered yours!!!Quesadillas are the perfect meal.Quick and easy to prepare and quick to go!!!

Candi said...

Yum...those look and sound great!

Love your blog...thanks for stopping by mine!

TBC said...

Hi Poonam,
I came here through your comment on my blog. Thanks for visiting!
Cute pic of yourself! You have a very nice blog.
I have never tried making anything from Mexican cuisine. Maybe this is a good way to start!

Priyanka said...

Looks yummm... Poonam- an all time favorite....

Nicole said...

Yummmmm!

Athika said...

Hi poonam, I am tagging you to write MEME. Please feel free to play only if you have the time

Shivapriya said...

Yummy Poonam.I agree with you. I love mexican food but its loaded with chesse as you said, so I often endup making at home:). Lovely recipe. I love ur blog.

USHA said...

Hi Poonam,

Wonderful and delicious Quesadillas...Yes you are 100% correct...thought it is tasty it is loaded with high calorie....when we prepare at home we can have control over it.

M'nMs said...

Hi..slow in coming but the mexican macaroni recipe is finally up... ways to make it healthier but the cannned beans help with a 9:30pm dinner :)