My husband and I (gee…I love saying that), have had a real thing for Mexican cuisine of late, but I won’t even pretend that this is an authentic recipe. But for our Meat Free Monday meal, it hit all the right spots and made use of what was in our cupboard and fridge. This recipe fed EG and I not only for dinner, but for lunch the next day as well. Economy gastronomy at its best.
Ingredients (the Quesadillas)
Glug of olive oil
1 medium red onion, diced
1 red capsicum, diced
1 corn cob, kernals removed
1 green chilli, diced
1-2 tomatoes, diced
1 tin (240g) of Red Kidney Beans, drained and rinsed
1 tin (250g) of White Lima Beans, drained and rinsed
A shake of paprika, chilli, cumin, oregano
Salt and pepper to taste
Tortillas (in this case, an 8 pack of the Mission Multigrain)
Pickled Jalapeños
Cheese, grated
Method
Heat the olive oil in a frypan/skillet and gently saute over medium heat the diced red onion, red capsicum, corn kernals and green chilli. When softened, add the tomatoes and cook for a further minute of two. Add the drained and rinsed tins of beans, the spices and seasoning, and cook until warmed through. Then get a masher, and mash to your preferred consistency. I like mine a little chunky, but I like to have most of the beans “broken”.
Lay four tortillas on the bench and share out the mixture between the four, flattening to the edges. At this point, you may want to sprinkle a few diced pickled jalapeños on the mixture, as well as some grated cheese, before putting on the lid and squeezing down a bit.
Then lightly oil another fry pan (one that can fit the quesadillas), and cook and flip until lightly browned. Cut into quarters and plate up!
To serve, you may want to make a quick salsa, which is the perfect accompaniment. This is more just a process than a recipe, so I’ll keep it brief. Finely dice half a red onion and add to one diced avocado and two diced tomatoes. Season extremely well with cracked black pepper and salt, add a glug of olive oil, and then as much coriander and lime juice as you can handle. Let stand for half an hour or so for full effect.
A Corona or Sol (with lime of course) is also the perfect accompaniment. Buen provecho!
Yum. You’ve inspired me to post my nachos recipe now..
New blog post: Meat Free Monday: Quesadillas http://bit.ly/3VL86w
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RT @tummyrumbles New blog post: Meat Free Monday: Quesadillas http://bit.ly/3VL86w <~ I ? quesadillas. great for a quick midweek meal too
RT: @tummyrumbles: New blog post: Meat Free Monday: Quesadillas http://bit.ly/3VL86w
I haven’t had mexican since going to Mexican Cantina off princess hwy. Mexican is the best meat free indulgence huh?! Full of flavour it makes you think…who needs meat?
This looks yum, good work- makes me want mexican now…:P and a Margarita!
Quesadillas are so yum! My hubby and I (after 7 years that pleasure has worn off!) discovered them via Jamie Oliver so, though our version is definitely not authentic, we love them as a Friday night supper.
PS. Wedding pics? Please?
Hot tip. Its super easy to make your own tortillas.
Grab some masa harina or it might be labeled as masa flour or similar from your local providore. White or yellow. i prefer white.
Add water in the ratio of 1 cup masa to .6 cup warm water. Mix and add flour/water as you see fit. The mixture should be wet but should still be pliable.
If you can get a tortilla press all good, other wise you can roll them out. There are plenty of web sites that can show you the rolling/pressing process.
Heat them in a fry pan(no oil needed) for about 1 min each side or until they look/feel like a tortilla.
Gold.
I should say the mixture should NOT be wet but still pliable.
I have yet to start this meat free Monday.The Quesadillas look so tempting!
“My husband and I (gee…I love saying that)” – hehe, you’re too cute!
Those quesadillas look great, I’ve been craving Mexican food too lately!
xox Sarah
Hey there Mish delish – oooh, I love a good nacho recipe. I look forward to your post!
Hiya Adrian – actually, Mexican cuisine is wonderfully conducive to meat free options. I think I need to take a trip out to Aztec in Tullamarine to pick up some supplies!
Hi cherryblossomcupcakes – yeah, I’m sure it will eventually wear off, but right now, I’m loving it
Your wish is my command…you can see some pics here.
Hey there Al – thanks for your recipe! Actually, I would LOVE to make my own tortillas! I will definitely be seeking out the masa flour soon, and will blog my attempts. Thanks!
G’day Penny – well there is no time like the present. Give it a try next Monday!
Hiya Sarah – oh dear, I’ve probably made a few people cringe
I adore good Mexican food, although I find it hard to find authentic food here (most of it is tex-mex). I am dying to make my own mole one day too. That is, when I get the five different types of dried chillis to make it!
Since traveling to the US a few months back I’ve been on a Mexican kick too. The much more authentic Mexican food on the West coast is absolutely nothing like the Mexican I’ve had back home in Australia.
USA Foods in Moorabbin sells the flour and presses to make tortillas. If you go, buy the Cholula hot sauce for an authentic taste (and use lots of chopped fresh onions, tomatoes and definitely lots of super fresh coriander).
Oh, and has anyone in Melbourne got a good, authentic-tasting Mexican place to try? Nachos Cantina, Coyote Cafe and (ugh) Taco Bill are not.
Thanks for the recipe! I really must start our meat free day soon!!
Hey Mike – hmm, I’m thinking I might need to get myself a tortilla press
Hey, have you tried Los Amates? They do some rather authentic stuff. Steer clear of anything that sounds tex-mex on the menu though!
Hiya 3hungrytummies – look forward to seeing your Meat Free Monday recipes!
Mellie, I haven’t tried Los Amates but will have a look when I get a chance. We visited Trippy Taco in Collingwood over the weekend which is pretty good and vegetarian/vegan only.
Tortilla presses (from USA Foods at least) are $25 for the small and $35 for large. I’d probably recommend the large. I bought a small and think it’s a bit too small. Maybe I’m just a pig.
Hiya Mike – I’m a big fan of Trippy Taco. Their trippy fries are to die for, as is their sweet tamale dessert. A must try!
Thanks for the heads up on the tortilla press. I do prefer a larger tortilla (that way you can make burrito, quesadilla etc), so will definitely go for the large size. Seems like a reasonable price too!
I wouldn’t say that’s too far from authentic; afterall there’s no sour cream or monterey jack there
Have a look at http://www.fireworksfoods.com.au if you can’t be bothered making the trek to Tulla. The only down side to using these guys is they don’t deliver plantains or queso fresco outside Sydney.
Thanks for the link Nic. I just spent $110 on stuff
I’m dead keen to make a mole, so I bought all the dried chilli and Mexican chocolate. And I couldn’t resist the tortilla press and masa. And then some turtle beans, tomatilla and cactus.
I’m excited!