My best friend is coming over for a visit today and I have not seen her in a while. She had moved a couple of years ago, about 50 miles away…not too far but where she moved is not the easiest to get to; our lives are busy and we don’t get that BFF time together enough. We have known each other for about 27 years, OMG where does the time go? She had suggested we go to a restaurant for lunch, since I cook all the time and I said absolutely not, I will cook so we can spend quality time together in my garden. When you dine at a restaurant, there are so many distractions and noise and when you really want quiet, quality time with a friend, there is no place like home. She had texted me that she was fine with a quesadilla or whatever I cook and not to make a fuss and I told her, perfect, you gave me an idea that I can run with. I came up with this delicious quesadilla that is not just cheese but so much more, making it more like a meal instead of just a snack. Pair it with a salad for a fresh and light lunch or dinner or cut it up in wedges and serve a bunch of these at your next party. Comfort food goes hand in hand with best friends…is there any more comfort in this world than that?
Ice cold limeade paired well with this fiesta!
I bet you can’t eat just one…
The creamy Greek yogurt & avocado crema was a nice touch to this luncheon
Are you hungry yet? Open wide
Vegetable & Black Bean Quesadillas with Greek Yogurt Avocado Crema
This delicious quesadilla is filled with healthy veggies & black beans, it's great light lunch or dinner or a fabulous party appetizer
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp olive oil, divided
- 1 cup red bell pepper, chopped
- 1/2 cup red onion, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 2 cups zucchini, chopped
- 1 cup corn
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1 15 oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 5 10 inch flour tortillas
- 2 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
Greek Yogurt Avocado Crema
- 2 large avocados
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, plain
- 2 tbsp cilantro, chopped
- 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 tbsp water
- 1 tsp chili powder
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
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Heat a medium skillet over medium/high heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and add the bell pepper, onion, garlic, zucchini, corn, salt, chili powder and cumin and cook, stirring occasionally for 7 to 10 minutes until vegetables are browned
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Add the black beans, lime juice and cilantro stir until well combined, set aside
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Place all the ingredients for the avocado crema in a blender of food processor and mix until smooth, depending on how thick you want it, you may need to adjust the thickness by adding a touch more water
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Lay the tortillas onto a prep space and spread each one with a 1 cup of the vegetable/bean mixture on one half of the tortilla and sprinkle ½ cup of cheese on top of that, leave a ½ inch border around the tortilla without filling to give room for it to spread out while it cooks and fold in half.
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In another large nonstick skillet or grill pan, add 1 tablespoon olive oil or spray with cooking spray, heat to medium/high and cook 2 of the quesadillas, turning once until brown and crispy, 1 to 2 minutes per side; repeat with the remaining quesadillas.
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Cut into wedges and serve with the Greek yogurt avocado crema and salsa of your choice
Recipe Notes
you can lighten up this recipe by using cooking spray in the skillet, substituting lowfat cheese for the regular cheese and using whole wheat tortillas instead of white flour tortillas
My daughter is going to make this for lunch tomorrow. Can’t wait to try it!! Healthy and Hearty!
tell me how it turned out, does your daughter cook?
I was fortunate enough to be present with Joseph when he whipped up this fabulous dish! Loved it! Thank you:-)
It was fabulous seeing you friend…the most beautiful day, filled with laughter and good food, what else is there in life?
Made this today! I added thinly sliced grilled jalapenos as I love the spicy kick. Turned out delicious! I made a dozen. They were a hit for dinner paired with mexican caesar salad!!
Yum yum!