Saturday, August 18, 2007

Beany Quesadillas

This is perfect Friday night fare. It's relatively quick, full of goodness and is so delish, what with the squirt of lime juice and the dip of sour cream, that I was practically licking the plate afterwards! And if you decide to pair it with a Corona or four (hey, sometimes those work weeks can be absolute slogs), then so much the better. Loosen the tie or kick off the heels, crack open the beer and enjoy!

Beany Quesadillas

800g tin of crushed tomatoes
1 onion, finely diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
410g tin of red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 teaspoon chilli flakes
1 cup grated cheddar
2 flour tortillas per person
300g sour cream
1 lime, quartered
coriander, to taste

1 - Heat the oil in a large fry pan. Saute the onion until golden, then add the garlic and chilli flakes and cook for another minute or so more, or until everything smells yummy and spicy.

2 - Add the kidney beans and cook for a minute. Add the tomatoes, bring to the boil, then simmer for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is a lovely thick goop. Leave to cool a smidge.

3 - Heat up a sandwhich press, dropping and smearing some olive oil on the surface. Place a tortilla on the press, spreading a good dollop of the bean mix onto the torilla, then top with cheese and coriander. Place the other tortilla on top of the first, then grill in the press for a minute or so, or until nice and crisp.

4 - Transfer the tortilla to a plate using a spatula, then cut into quarters. To serve, squirt over some lime juice and dip into the sour cream as you take each bite. Good, huh?!

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous11:03 PM

    Hi, a friend just pointed me at your blog and I wanted to say it's ecouraging to see more and more people thinking about quick, flavorful, non pre-packaged meals. I use a similar approach to get creative with what's in the larder -- mix fresh produce with whatever staples are around and go from there.

    A co-worker gave me a bag full of crookneck squash and tomatoes from her garden and I wanted to try something other than the standard steam and slice. You and your readers might appreciate this:

    1. Grate 8 crookneck squash (skin and all) with a food processor or hand-held grater. Remove to a collander and toss with about 2 tablespoons of kosher salt. Set aside to let water drain.

    2. In a stock pot, heat about 1/2 C olive oil and saute two yellow onions, sliced, and several cloves of garlic, minced.

    3. While onions cook, squeeze as much water as possible from the squash. When onions have begun to turn golden, stir in the squash. Cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occassionally.

    4. Add 8 cups stock and simmer soup for another 20 minutes. Add pepper to taste.

    5. Cube those yummy garden tomatoes, and salt to taste. Put servings of tomatoes in soup bowls, ladel the soup over them, and garnish with a bit of shaved parmesean and/or fresh italian parsley (or not).

    6. Serve with crusty bread and a crisp pinot grigio or corona. Enjoy!

    -Kim

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  2. Thanks - that recipe sounds great, and I can't wait for summer so I can try it :-)

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