the quesadilla is a food from the gods

yesterday i mentioned eating a ton of quesadillas, and today i decided it was once again time to make one.

the great thing about quesadillas is that you can put almost anything inside of them. lately i've been using spinach, portobello mushrooms, black beans, and cheese. even though the filling is good, i think my favorite part is dipping the wedges into sauce. mmm, sauce.

anyone who has seen me cook knows i rarely use measuring cups or spoons and prefer to eyeball things and taste as i go, so this recipe may need to be tweaked if you decide to try it.

mushroom, cheese, and bean quesadillas

4 oz portobello mushrooms, sliced
1/2 c onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp olive oil
1 package chopped spinach
1 can black beans
1 cup shredded cheese (i like to use either monterey jack or a mix of mj and cheddar)
cumin, oregano
8" flour tortillas

cook spinach according to package instructions. drain or press well (usually i wring it in a clean dish towel or paper towel) and set aside.

in a saucepan saute half of the onion in half of the oil over medium heat for a few minutes. add garlic and cook for an additional minute. open the can of beans and drain about half of the liquid out. add beans to pan, along with a few large pinches of cumin and a bit of oregano. reduce heat to low. cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has cooked off or thickened. remove from heat and set aside.

meanwhile, add the rest of onion and oil (you may use a dab of butter instead if you wish) to a pan and cook over medium heat. add garlic and mushrooms. cook until mushrooms have released their liquid. add spinach and stir to combine.

heat skilled over medium heat. (melt a bit of butter in the pan if you want.) place one tortilla in the pan and then add cheese, beans, spinach mixture, and more cheese to one half of the tortilla. be careful not to over-fill. if you put too much inside, it will ooze out while cooking or when cut up. use a spatula to fold and press down. once the bottom starts to brown, flip it over. heat until tortilla is brown and cheese is melted. slice and serve while still hot.

you can make at least 4 quesadillas with the beans but may run out of the spinach-mushroom mixture before that. it depends on how much you put in each one.


as far as dipping sauces go, i like to mix sour cream with cumin and use that or mash up some avocados for guacamole.

if you're a ranch fiend, try a dollop of ranch dressing with a drizzle of hot sauce.