Black Bean Quesadillas

My family might be getting a little sick of these by now, but they're so good and easy that they keep appearing almost weekly in our dinner line-up! They make really good leftovers reheated in the oven for lunch or dinner the next day too, so I like to make a few of them to be able to grab out of the fridge for a quick meal.

Black Bean Quesadillas

makes ~4 servings

Ingredients

2 small cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 can organic black beans, drained

3/4 cup fresh salsa, liquid drained

4 medium whole wheat tortillas

2 cups 2% shredded cheddar cheese

2/3 cup red onion, chopped

2/3 cup fresh tomatoes, seeded and chopped

Serve with:

fresh salsa

avocado slices

sour cream

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add black beans and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add salsa and cook for 1-2 minutes.

3. On large baking sheet, place 2 whole wheat tortillas next to each other. Top each with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar, followed by half of black bean mixture, 1/3 cup red onion and 1/3 cup chopped tomatoes. Sprinkle each with 1/2 cup shredded cheddar and top with a second whole wheat tortilla. Place in oven and bake for 10 minutes. Gently flip quesadillas and bake for another 10 minutes, or until tortillas are lightly browned and slightly crispy.

4. Cut into quarters and serve with fresh salsa, avocado slices and sour cream.

What are the nutritional benefits of this meal? Black beans are high in protein and fiber and are a significant source if iron, magnesium, phosphorous, manganese and B vitamins thiamin and folate. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant, as well as vitamins and minerals, including vitamins C, K, folate, thiamin, and minerals calcium, magnesium, potassium and manganese. Tomatoes are an excellent source of vitamin C and lycopene. Garlic is rich in phytonutrients and antioxidants. Cheese is rich in calcium and protein. Choosing whole wheat tortillas, as opposed to white flour tortillas, provides more fiber and nutrients, particularly B vitamins, vitamin E, folic acid, calcium, phosphorous, zinc, copper, and iron because they are less refined. Avocados are rich in monounsaturated fats that have been shown to boost HDL (good cholesterol), and are an excellent source of vitamins C,E and carotenoids lycopene and beta carotene, as well as the minerals selenium and zinc.