Qrazy for Quesadillas!

With Cinco de Mayo right around the corner, what better time to experiment with some Mexican recipes?  Several months ago, knowing how much I enjoy cooking and how excited I get about kitchen gadgets, a dear family friend gave me a quesadilla maker (thanks so much, Nealda! :)  Last night, after getting home from a short run (I donated blood on Tuesday and apparently it takes me a while to bounce back from that, since a 5.6 mile run was literally all I could muster...despite running a solid 12.3 miles on Sunday, but I digress), I decided that it was time to break out the quesadilla maker and concoct something tasty! The result...Black Bean Quesadilla for one!

Black Bean Quesadilla

Ingredients:

• 2 (10-inch) flour tortillas
• 1 can black beans (I prefer reduced-sodium)
• 1/2 cup medium salsa OR 1/2 cup diced tomatoes w/ green chilies
• 1/2 cup white corn (from frozen, zapped for 2 minutes in the microwave - next time I want to try it with Trader Joe's Fire-Roasted Corn, but I didn't have any on hand last night)
• 1-2 dashes cayenne pepper (alter to your own spice tolerance)
• 1/2 tsp. cilantro
• 3/4 cup reduced-fat Mexican cheese blend, shredded

Before assembling your quesadilla, wipe down the inside of your quesadilla maker with a damp cloth.  Spray both heating plates with cooking spray (I prefer using my Misto® olive oil sprayer).  Close the lid and plug-in the appliance to begin heating up.

Combine black beans, salsa/tomatoes, corn, cayenne pepper, and cilantro in a small bowl.

Lay 1 tortilla on a flat surface and spread filling over it (you will likely have some leftover filling, but don't over-fill or it will leak out during the grilling process).  Sprinkle shredded Mexican blend cheese over top of the filling.  Once the indicator light on the quesadilla maker shows that it is preheated, open the lid and transfer the tortilla with toppings onto the bottom heating plate.  

Top with 2nd tortilla, close lid, and cook for approximately 5 minutes.  When done, transfer the quesadilla to a plate and serve with sour cream, remaining salsa, and avocado/guacamole.

So, I went a little overboard with the salsa, but it was still tasty despite being a bit messy!

And there you have it!  A super simple, yet super tasty weeknight dinner that you can throw together in just a few minutes!  Ole! :)