BLACK BEAN & CHEESE QUESADILLAS with AVOCADO SALSA

I have a slight obsession with black beans, as some of you may be able to tell (they have appeared on this blog many times!). The recipe below is loosely based on a Bill Granger recipe and is a favourite lunch and dinner meal of mine. These quesadillas are quite filling and are such an easy vegetarian recipe to whip up. I like to make them on mountain bread as they are lighter and lower in calories than flour tortillas. Black beans are now readily available at all major supermarkets; just make sure to read the labels and buy a brand with a low sugar content! 

INGREDIENTS

Quesadillas 

• 2 x 400g tin black beans, drained & rinsed
• 100g light tasty cheese, grated
• 1 spring onion, finely sliced
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons taco seasoning 
• 8 flour tortillas or 8 mountain wraps 
• rice bran / olive oil 

Avocado Salsa

• 1 ripe avocado, mashed 
• 1 spring onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon fresh coriander, finely chopped
• 1 tomato, finely diced
• 100g cucumber, finely diced
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

COOKING 

1. Combine the black beans, cheese, spring onion, coriander, taco seasoning and a generous amount of ground black pepper in a large bowl and mix well. 

2. Heat a large frying pan over medium heat, adding 1 teaspoon oil. Swirl oil to coat the pan, then place 1 tortilla or mountain wrap in the oil and swirl to coat. Spoon 1/4 of the black bean mixture onto the tortilla and spread it towards the edges, then cover with another tortilla/wrap, pressing down the edges so that they stick together (or also do). After 2-3 minutes, carefully flip the quesadilla and brown the other side for the same amount of time or slightly less. When cooked place on a plate and cover to stay warm. Repeat this process until all tortillas/wraps are used, adding more oil only when needed. You may need to turn the heat down to medium-low from medium once the pan heats up, as the quesadillas will brown much quicker. 

3. Whilst the quesadillas are cooking make the avocado salsa by combining all the ingredients and adding ground black pepper and a pinch of sea salt. 

Cut the quesadillas into quarters and serve the quesadillas alongside 1/4 of the avocado salsa. 

Serves / 4 (4 quarters per person = 2 tortillas / 2 mountain wraps)
Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 
Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

x Emily 

EASY AVOCADO DIP

When I did a ski season in Canada in 2007, my friend and I lived off avocado dip and crackers. Our avocado dip consisted of a ripe avocado, lemon juice and far too much salt. Over the years I like to think that I have perfected this little dip by adding a few choice Indian spices. I especially like that I use no oil, as so many dips do. You can substitute the lime juice for lemon or the chives for chopped coriander or parsley if you wish. 

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe avocados 
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1 garlic clove, crushed or very finely chopped 
• the juice of 1 small to medium lime 
• a pinch of sea salt and ground black pepper 
• Optional - 2 tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped

METHOD 

1. Mash avocado into a paste and then add all the other ingredients, stirring well to combine. Make sure you taste the dip a few times, adding a little more of an ingredient if need be. Serve alongside raw vegetables or crackers. 

x Emily 

BEEF with CORN & AVOCADO SALSA

Fresh corn is so much tastier than canned corn, so make sure you use the good old garden-fresh stuff when making this recipe. This is a great dinner, as it is light on the carbs and heavy on the vegetables (or fruit if you consider avocado and tomato vegetables). I added in some brown lentils for extra protein, however this did up the calorie count substantially to 599 per serving (it was 511 calories per serve without the lentils). You could use less lentils or slightly less steak for a lighter meal. This was a very simple, faintly Mexican meal to make. For vegetarians, I’d suggest using another corn on the cob and more lentils or beans to get the protein up! 

Ingredients

• 1 large corn on the cob (250g) 
• 2 medium tomatoes (155g), finely diced
• 1 x 400g tin brown lentils, rinsed & drained 
• 80g ripe avocado, chopped
• 2 tablespoons fresh coriander (6g), roughly chopped
• 2 teaspoons lime juice (10g)
• 400g lean beef steak (fillet or rump), fat removed
• 1/2 teaspoon rice bran oil
• pinch of ground black pepper
• 1 lime (50g) cut into wedges 

Cooking 

1. Microwave the corn on high for 3 minutes, covered in glad wrap, then set aside to cool for a few minutes. Once cool enough to hand, remove the husk and silk. Place the corn cob upright on a chopping board and cut down the cob vertically, using a sharp knife, to remove all the kernels. 

2. Combine the tomatoes, corn kernels, lentils, avocado, coriander and lime juice in a medium bowl. 

3. Brush the steaks with oil and dust with pepper. Heat a medium fry-pan or chill grill over medium high and cook steaks for 2-3 minutes per side or cooked to your preference. Remove from heat and leave to sit on a plate, loosely wrapped in al foil for a few minutes to rest. Slice meat to your liking. 

4. Divide the steak between two plates and top with salsa and lime wedges 

Serves / 2 

Total Preparation time / 15 minutes 

Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

Total Calories / approx. 599 per serve 

x Emily 

BEAN & VEGETABLE QUESADILLAS

No need to add fatty cheese to these quesadillas, as you will find that sliced avocado and the rich tomato and refried bean filling will be flavoursome enough! If you have any refried been & tomato mixture left over I like to use it as a sauce for my quesadilla. The only difficult thing about this recipe is not eating more than four quesadilla diamonds! (which is 1 serving). 

INGREDIENTS

• 1 teaspoon rice bran oil 
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 x 435g tin 99% fat free refried beans
• 500g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste 
• 8 x mountain wraps 
• 1/2 a red capsicum, roughly chopped 
• 1/2 a green capsicum, roughly chopped 
• 1 shallot, finely chopped
• Toppings; sliced tomato, sliced avocado, finely chopped shallots, chives and/or coriander. 

COOKING 

1. Heat a medium saucepan with 1/2 a teaspoon oil over medium heat and swirl to coat. Add the garlic to the pan and cook, stirring frequently for 1-2 minutes or until garlic is cooked. Pour the refried beans, tomato and tomato paste into the pan and cook, stirring often, for around five minutes or until the mixture starts to boil. Turn the heat off but leave the saucepan on the stove. 

2. Meanwhile, combine the two types of capsicum and the shallot in a small bowl. 

3. Heat a large frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon oil and swirl to coat the pan. Place one wrap in the pan and spread the refried bean mixture thickly over the wrap, making sure to cover the edges. Sprinkle 1/4 of the capsicum and shallot mixture over the wrap and firmly place another wrap to top, sealing the edges. Cook for 2-3 minutes each side or until both sides are slightly golden. Repeat the process three more times until all the wraps have been used. (Be aware that the fry pan will become hotter as time goes on so less cooking time will be needed for each quesadilla). 

Serve warm with some or all of the optional toppings! 

Serves / 4 

Total Preparation time / 10 minutes 

Total Cooking time / around 20 minutes 

x Emily 

AVOCADO & MUSTARD DIP

Another one of Heidi Swanson’s super natural recipes for you. Heidi makes this dip with curry powder, however I substituted ground coriander instead for a more subtle taste. This dip only takes around 15 minutes to make and involves no processing, blending or fiddling. It is a fun way to spice up plain and monotonous avocado dip. Make sure you use ripe avocados and fresh herbs for the best success with your dip. Mustard seeds are quite foreign to me; however using them added a pleasant boost of flavour. A perfect snack for a sunny Spring Saturday.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 ripe avocados, cut in half and pits removed 
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 1 small red onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoons yellow / black / brown mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/8 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 1/2 of a mixture of finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, coriander, chives, parsley. 
• sea salt 
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil 

COOKING 

1. Place the avocado flesh in a small bowl. Add the lime juice, salt and the herbs. Mash the avocado gently with a fork, making sure to not over-mash, as you want the dip to be chunky. Set aside. 

2. Heat the oil in a small frying pan over medium heat. When the pan is hot add the mustard seeds, making sure to cover the pan with a lid as the seeds will scatter when they pop. When the popping ceases, after 1-2 minutes, add the onion and stir well for 2 minutes or until soft. Add the garlic, ground coriander and chilli flakes to the pan, stirring well to combine. After 30 seconds remove from heat. Add the mustard mixture to the mashed avocado, gently stirring to just combine. Serve warm with crackers and/or cut vegetables. 

Serves / 4

Total Preparation time / 8 minutes

Total Cooking time / 8 minutes 

x E

BEEF TACOS

Mexican food ranks in my top favourite cuisines. I think its all the bright colours that incite me, as well as the exquisitely seasoned food. The  recipe below is gluten and dairy free, but cheese and sour cream can be added (just make sure it is light!). Flour wraps can be used instead of tacos as well. If not a big fan of tacos, you can buy Byron Bay Corn chips or any other lightly salted corn chips and use them as the base with meat and fillings on top, like make-shift nachos. This is a perfect weekend night meal whilst watching the AFL….hold on I live in Queensland…of course I meant Rugby Union/League...

INGREDIENTS


Taco Mince 

• 600g extra-lean beef mince 
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli flakes
• 3 tablespoons lime juice 
• 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

Fillings

• 1/2 small red onion, chopped into thin slices
• 1 medium red capsicum, seeded & cut into thin slices
• 1 medium green capsicum, seeded & cut into thin slices
• 10 taco shells, warmed up in a 200 degree celsius oven (fan-force) for around 8 minutes 
• 1 ripe avocado 
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 large tomato, cut into small pieces
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander 
• a pinch of sea salt 

COOKING 

Taco Mince

1. Combine all ingredients together and marinade in fridge for at least 30 minutes. 


2. After 30 minutes, remove from fridge and heat a large frying pan over medium heat. Add taco mince to pan and cook, stirring frequently and breaking up lumps with a large spoons. When all beef is browned and no red flesh remains, remove from heat and cover to remain warm. 


Fillings 


1. Keep the frying pan used to cook the taco mince on the stove and add the capsicum and red onion. Stir frequently for around 4 minutes or until onion is soft and fragrant and capsicum is soft but not soggy. Remove from heat and keep warm. 


2. Make the avocado topping by combining the avocado, lemon juice, tomato pieces, garlic, ground coriander and sea salt in a small bowl. Taste and add more of one ingredient if need be. 


3. Serve toasted tacos with taco mince and fillings, layering each filling on top of the other to fill the taco. 


NB- If not gluten/dairy intolerance, feel free to add light sour cream, little grated cheese or use wraps instead of tacos. 


Serves  / 4 
Total Preparation time / 20 minutes (plus 30 minutes refrigeration) 
Total Cooking time / 20 minutes 

x E