Two Pepper, Mushroom & Black Bean Quesadillas

Pepper, Mushroom & Black Bean Quesadilla
Oh man has it been cold lately. I’m not talking below freezing put on a scarf before you go out cold. This is the real deal. Like –17 degrees kind of cold. Like stay in bed and huddle under the covers kind of cold. Or sit in front of the fire and read a book kind of cold. The good news is that we finally have a nice layer of snow on the ground and the sun is out this morning so at least it looks pretty outside.

cold snowy view

Let me show you. This is the view through my kitchen window. What? You thought I was going to go outside and take a picture for you? Did I mention it’s below zero right now. Besides, I kind of like the contrast of my window sill succulents against the snowy cold backdrop. It’s like two worlds colliding.

So besides staying in bed or huddling by the fire how do I stay warm when the temperature dips below frigid? I cook of course!  Nothing warms the kitchen faster than a hot oven, and nothing warms the body better than a big glass of wine…umm,I mean plate of spicy food. Pepper and Mushroom Quesadilla
Quesadillas are the kind of food that everyone likes and anyone can make. Okay, maybe I’m generalizing a bit, but really what’s not to like? And can you say quick and easy- that’s what this dish is all about. Chop your ingredients, layer them in a tortilla with some cheese, pop in the oven and that’s it! Simple, simple, simple. The other thing I like about quesadillas is how many different ways you can make them. Pork, chicken, rice, pineapple, peaches, goat cheese, white beans, black beans…I could go on and on. If you can chop it and fit it between two tortillas you can make it into a quesadilla. I went pretty basic with this recipe. Partly because I really like this simple combo of peppers, mushroom and black bean, but mostly because it was what I had and it was far to cold to go to the store.

Here are my ingredients. Yes, that is frozen corn. Not many fresh ears floating around in the middle of January so the frozen stuff will have to do. The good thing- frozen corn from a bag is much less messy than cutting the kernels off the ears. I always find those little buggers all dried out under my toaster oven like a month later.
Here is everything all chopped up. You can adjust the amount of heat by either removing the ribs and seeds from the pepper for less heat, or leaving them for more. Since grocery store jalapeños tend to be pretty mild I left all the seeds and ribs for this recipe. In the summer though, when they come fresh from the garden, that’s a whole different story.
All the veggies go in a pan for a quick sauté.
Sprinkle the tortillas with cheese and top with the veggie mixture.
I added a bit of chopped roasted chicken that was leftover from a few nights ago, sprinkled on more cheese and topped with another tortilla.
After baking for 10 minutes top with fresh mashed avocado mixed with a squeeze of lime and serve with salsa. Guaranteed to warm you from the inside out!Pepper, Mushroom & Black Bean Quesadilla
Before I give you the recipe I feel obligated to include this note about tortillas:Not to be preachy but did you know that this innocent flat piece of dough can actually be incredibly unhealthy? A normal size 10-12” tortilla has an average of 130 calories, about 5 grams of sugar and only 3 grams of protein. That’s the whole wheat kind, don’t even get me started on the white ones. It doesn’t have to be this way. There are healthy tortillas out there. My favorite are the Cedar’s brand 8” whole wheat. Unlike many other “whole wheat” tortillas these actually contain whole wheat flour. They also only have one gram of sugar, 80 calories and 8 grams of protein. You might not be able to find this brand where you live, but PLEASE read the ingredients before you buy. And whatever you do, don’t buy the ones next to the taco shells in the middle of the store (yeah I am talking about the huge white Mission brand ones- you might as well be eating a donut). Generally the tortillas in the refrigerated section of the store are a far healthier option. Okay, enough lecturing…on to the recipe.

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11 Comments

  • Very nice! Quesadillas. My favorite easy family meal.

  • Good to be reminded about these Amanda. I like the new design. Seems to be more pictures which I love. also, one time I was out of wraps and made my own. They were delicious and not really too hard.

    • I remember you telling me that you made your own tortillas and how easy it was. I’ll have to get the recipe from you. Sounds like fun!

  • It’s ice cold over here too…(-4 today if I remember it right), but no sight of snow.
    The quesadillas looks really appetizing and delicious!

  • Great blog, Amanda! These quesadillas are right up our alley–beautiful to look at and delicious to eat. Totally with you on the tortillas. Oh, and the big glass of wine, too.

  • Your quesadillas look delicious! All of that snow just looks freezing cold to me though. Great points on how to keep warm!

  • Your quesadillas look incredible! I am seriously going to have to try this out for dinner 🙂

  • After reading this, I stopped at the store and bought some whole wheat tortillas and used what veggies I had for supper. Yum. thanks for the inspiration.

    • That’s great! So glad I inspired you. It is one of my favorite go to easy meals.

  • Brrr.. I will stop complaining about Colorado cold since we seem to get a day like today ( blue skies, in the 60’s- shirtsleeve weather) every couple of weeks or so all winter. Snow in between but nice days when everyone is out cycling or running. But I am partial to Vermont in the fall 🙂
    You know, I have never though of baking quesadillas…it would be lots easier to keep all the good stuff in if I didn’t have to flip it in pan. I will have to try it. Love the ingredients in this one!

    • I started baking them awhile ago Denise. It’s so much quicker because you can make them all at once. I have also found that if you brush the tops with some oil before baking you can achieve the same crispy texture that you get from pan frying. Ohh…you make me jealous with the 60 degree weather!

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