Black Bean Quesadillas with Goat Cheese

Last weekend we went down to NYC to attend a free Kids Food Festival in Bryant Park, which was sponsored in part by Cooking Light and the James Beard Foundation.  We could have bought tickets to see cooking demos, from chefs like Ellie Krieger and Jehangir Mehta.  Unfortunately, at $20 a ticket, I didn't think they were quite old enough to really appreciate seeing the chefs or eat what they were making.....maybe next year!  But we had lots of fun going to different booths and trying different snack foods, getting their booklets stamped, and dancing with "Baby Loves Disco."  I wish the weather was a little warmer because we would have stayed longer.  There were several free demonstrations and performances, but since the festival was outside, it was a bit chilly.  We ended up leaving after about two hours and met up with my brother-in-law, who lives down in the city and went out to lunch.  Before we left, we had watched a demo from cookbook author Katie Workman, who made tacos and edamame. Workman was pointing out that tacos are a great kid-friendly food because kids can help prepare the ingredients and then choose what they want to put on their own tacos.  My go-to quick Mexican type meal though is quesadillas.  There are so many different combos you can make, both with meat or without, like this version. 

I don't know if it's a texture thing or what, but I don't like most types of beans.  Only over the past year or so have I started liking black beans.  But have I mentioned how much I LOVE goat cheese?  I think I'd like these, even if I didn't like black beans, because goat cheese makes everything taste better!  Really though these quesadillas were super tasty!  My son loves all kinds of cheese and black beans....so he liked these.  My daughter on the other hand does not really like cheese.  She's usually really good about eating what she needs to to get a treat, and she ended up eating three pieces of this quesadilla.  I served this with yellow rice and some veggies to complete the meal.

Black Bean Quesadillas with Goat Cheese
recipe from Cooking Light, June 2001

Ingredients:
2 teaspoons olive oil, divided
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup salsa
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (19-ounce) can black beans, undrained
1/3 cup minced fresh cilantro
1 (4-ounce) package goat cheese, crumbled
8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream
1/2 cup salsa

Directions:
Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic, and saute for 3 minutes. Stir in 1/2 cup salsa, cumin, and beans, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 minutes or until thick. Mash the bean mixture slightly with a potato masher. Remove from heat; stir in the cilantro and goat cheese.

Spread the bean mixture evenly over 4 tortillas; top each with 1 tortilla, pressing gently.

Heat 1/4 teaspoon olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. Add 1 quesadilla, and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Repeat the procedure with the remaining olive oil and quesadillas. Cut each quesadilla into 6 wedges. Serve with fat-free sour cream and 1/2 cup salsa.

Family Rating: 1 1/2 thumbs up.

This post is shared at:
Foodtastic Friday @ Not Your Ordinary Recipes
Tasty Thursdays @ The Mandatory Mooch
Full Plate Thursday @ Miz Helen's Country Cottage