Black Bean & Avocado Quesadillas with Grilled Shiitake

Hey guys! Rita here. I feel I should start this blog post by telling you guys about the backstory of this recipe. Back in the days where I knew nothing about the benefits of a plantbased nutrition, my recipe for grilled chicken quesadillas helped me win over André's heart (and tummy!). Well, I had him already. But cooking a better version of my quesadillas every time he would come over to visit (we lived a few hundred kilometers away from each other back then) played an important part in securing my man. Fast forward a year and we were living together, we'd become vegetarian and we were both very keen on coming up with an even better, healthy vegan version of the meal that pretty much defined the first few months of our relationship.

This was not the only vegan quesadilla recipe we came up with (keep an eye open for the others) but it's definitely the one we tend to make over and over again — it is that yummy! The grilled shiitake mushrooms provide a meaty bite that really complements the creamy guacamole and the warming and spicy black beans. It is not a one-pot kind of meal, but it still is an easy recipe you can fix in no time for lunch or perhaps pair with a few other dishes and sides for a mexican themed dinner party with friends.

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black bean & avocado quesadillaS
with grilled shiitake

35 minutes  |  makes 4 quesadillas

INGREDIENTS

BLACK BEANS
1 can 400 ml. black beans, with liquid
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 large garlic clove, center germ removed and finely chopped
4 organic sundried tomatos, roughly chopped
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp paprika
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/8 tsp dried chili flakes
sea salt to taste

GUACAMOLE
1 ripe avocado, cut into cubes
a squeeze of lime
a few sprigs of coriander, finely chopped
sea salt & black pepper to taste

GRILLED SHIITAKE
3 handfuls | 150 gr. shiitake mushrooms, sliced
sea salt & black pepper to taste

TO SERVE
8 wheat tortillas ( use gluten free if intolerant to gluten )
a few sprigs of coriander

STEP BY STEP

Start by gathering, measuring, preparing, chopping and slicing all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen. 

BLACK BEANS

1. Throw all of the ingredients for the beans in a small pan over medium heat and let it come to simmer. They will be ready when the sauce reduces a little and reaches a creamy consistency.

GUACAMOLE

1. Place all of the ingredients for the guacamole in a bowl and mash with a fork. We generally like our guac roughly mashed with a few bigger bits, but you can do as you please.

GRILLED SHIITAKE

1. Heat a non-stick grilling pan on the stove.

2. Salt the shiitake mushrooms to taste and throw them in the pan when it is screaching hot (but not smoking!).

3. Carefully and attentively tumble them in high heat, until they smell and look toasty. This will take only a few minutes, so do not let them burn. Cooking them with no added fat will make them extra smoky and dry.

4. When they are ready, set them in a bowl or plate and season with freshly cracked black pepper.

ASSEMBLING & TOASTING QUESADILLAS

1. Spread guacamole on a wheat tortilla, put 1/4 of the shiitake mushrooms on top and pour over a few spoonfuls of the spicy black beans.

2. Place another tortilla on top and allow the assembled quesadilla to toast in a wide pan on medium-high heat for a minute or two, until the tortillas turn golden brown and feel toasty and crunchy.

3. Flip the tortillas over calmly and carefully — there is no cheese keeping everything together!

4. Repeat for all 4.

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WE HOPE YOU ENJOY!

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