Mexican food is always a hit in our house. You can modify this recipe to include whatever greens or vegetables you have on hand. The pea and avocado cream is a nice twist on classic guacamole.
INGREDIENTS
Quesadillas
Corn tortillas (I used the Tia Pablo brand)
2 ½ cups grated cheese
1 x 400gram can black beans in sauce or your favourite chilli beans (preferably one that is low in sugar)
½ cup corn kernels
Large handful baby spinach leaves, finely chopped kale or silver beet
¼ red onion, diced very finely
To serve: Pea and Avocado Cream (recipe below)
Pea and Avocado Cream
½ cup peas (I pour boiling water over frozen peas to thaw and then drain well)
1 medium avocado
juice of 1 lime or lemon
1 small garlic clove, chopped finely
Sea salt and cracked pepper
METHOD
Heat a saucepan over a medium high heat (no oil is needed). Place one tortilla in the pan. Sprinkle with cheese. Dollop a spoonful of beans on one half. Top that same half with a spoonful of corn and a sprinkling of red onion. Lay some spinach leaves on the opposite side.
Leave to cook for two minutes. Fold the spinach half over onto the bean / corn half. Leave for a further minute to heat through. Remove from the heat and store in a warm oven until the other quesdilla are ready.
Serve immediately with the Pea and Avocado Cream on the side. Leftover quesdilla can be gently reheated in the oven the next day.
Pea and Avocado Cream: Place the peas, avocado, lime, garlic, salt and pepper into a blender. Pulse to combine and then process for a further minute. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.
Cook's tip: Generally quesadillas use less filling than you might think. Start with the filling on the conservative side until you get a feel for it. This will avoid a messy one that is hard to pick up.
Kelly Gibney
Kelly Gibney is a food writer, stylist and photographer based in Auckland. For more wholefood recipe inspiration head over to her blog, bonnie delicious.
Keep up to date with
dish weekly recipes,
food news, and events.
Related Content
![Spicy Pumpkin, Peanut and Spring Onion Fritters]()
RecipeSpicy Pumpkin, Peanut and Spring Onion Fritters
Article by Kelly Gibney![Freekeh Pilaf with Haloumi, Mint, Lemon and Almonds]()
RecipeFreekeh Pilaf with Haloumi, Mint, Lemon and Almonds
Article by Kelly Gibney![Black Bean Tacos with Macadamia and Garlic Cream]()
RecipeBlack Bean Tacos with Macadamia and Garlic Cream
Article by Kelly Gibney![Zucchini, Spinach and Herb Polpette]()
RecipeZucchini, Spinach and Herb Polpette
Article by Claire Aldous
latest issue:
126
We start by sharing what’s on the dish team’s radar, what we’re watching, listening to and reading. Harry Butterfield puts a twist on his Nonna’s agnolotti, Malissa Fedele reminds us of the importance of fibre, and Phoebe Holden fulfils a long-held dream, sitting down with Yotam Ottolenghi. Autumn is an abundant time, we make the most with pumpkin, kūmara, cabbage, cauliflower, feijoas, apples and pears. We’re dishing up dinners for two, including a Chicken Dumpling Lasagne, alongside easy weeknight meals. We honour our mums, revisit timeless classics, and add a little baking challenge. This issue, we encourage you to slow down, to enjoy writing your shopping list, and spending time in the kitchen. Because even when life feels relentless, there’s always space to share something delicious.