Chipotle & black-bean quesadillas with guacamole.

The past week or so I have been craving Mexican food. It's all I want to eat... it's probably a good thing that there is no good Mexican take-away shops around me because otherwise I'd probably be a take-out junkie. But I also don't own any Mexican cookbooks so off to Bookdepository I went.

But of course delivery takes time and I'm impatient but I was prepared ingredient wise. I had ordered some dried Mexican chilli's when I ordered my porcini mushrooms for my previous post, so now I had chilli's but no recipe. I was in luck when this particular recipe popped up in my instagram feed last week.

Chipotle Black Bean and Avocado Quesadillas by Naturally Ella.

Um. Yum.

I'd never made quesadillas before so I was interested already and I love black beans and I LOVE avocado and it just so happened that I had some dried chipotle chilli's in my cupboard too. Now I know chipotle chilli's aren't a store cupboard staple in most kitchens but this recipe would still work well with a sprinkle of cayenne pepper for kick, it just wouldn't have the smokiness the chipotle chilli's give. (I bought mine from Essential Ingredient online).

I changed the recipe slightly because I'm not the biggest fan of warm avocado so instead of putting it inside I made a simple guacamole and spooned it on top.

This is definitely a quick midweek meal that felt a little special because it's not normally what I cook during the week but I'd do it again in a flash. The best thing is you can add what ever you want in the centre mix depending on what you have or feel like. I added some smoked chorizo sausages to Tristan's quesadillas because I know he would straight away ask me where the meat was.

First I made the black bean mix buy putting everything in a pan and cooking it until the liquid had absorbed. I then fried the chorizo in a pan till the edges were crispy. Made the guacamole. Then I was pretty much ready to go and get making.

They reminded me of making a toasted sandwich in a frying pan which is what I have resorted to since not having a toastie machine. This scared me a little because I have a fantastic habit of burning sandwiches in frying pans till they are as black as the teflon base. So this had me a little anxious to start with but it wasn't going to turn me away. Low and slow baby... all the way... that's the trick.

Then you have to have to flip them with confidence. This I was also a little nervous racking... there is filling inside, it's not like a pancake... the entire inside can fall out. Flop. The trick I worked out is to make sure the cheese on the top has started to melt which makes the top stick to the filling which is stuck to the bottom. One swift movement and flip... I'll admit I had to stuff some filling back in the side a couple of times :)

If you're craving Mexican food, don't touch the take-away menu actually go and throw it in the bin now. Make this super tasty, fresh recipe instead. Its quick, full of flavour and would make a great appetiser for a movie night in with friends or midweek meal like I had it. This was a really fun dinner to make too and it hasn't kicked my Mexican cravings... if anything it's fuelled them for more!

Chipotle & black-bean quesadillas with guacamole.

Serves 2-3
(Recipe adapted from Naturally Ella)

for the quesadillas:
1x can black-beans, drained and rinsed
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 a dried chipotle chilli **, finely chopped (or 1 teaspoon of chipotle chilli powder)
1/4 teaspoon course sea salt
2 tablespoons of lime juice
2 tablespoons of coriander stalks, finely chopped
(if you have a veggie complainer - 1 chorizo sausage, thinly sliced - optional!)
3 tablespoons of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
6 wholegrain flour tortillas
1 1/2 cups of grated tasty cheese
olive oil, for brushing (or any neutral tasting oil)

for the guacamole:
1 avocado, mashed with a fork
1 tablespoon (approx.) red onion, finely chopped
1/2 tomato, diced
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon coriander leaves, chopped
salt and pepper, to taste

- Start my placing the black-beans, garlic, chipotle chilli, salt, lime juice and coriander stalks in a pot with 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil and simmer until most of the liquid has gone.

- Next make your guacamole by mixing everything together in small bowl. Refrigerate until needed.

- If you have someone who complains about no meat then fry your chorizo sausage on medium heat now, until crispy around the edges.

- Get a non stick frying pan that will fit your tortillas in comfortably on low heat. Brush one side of a tortilla with the oil and place it oil-side down in the pan. Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese on the tortilla, followed by 1/3 of the black-beans, (1/3 of your chorizo sausage if using), a sprinkling of coriander leaves then another 1/4 cup of cheese. On a clean surface brush another tortilla with oil on one side and place that on top of all the ingredients in the pan, oil-side up. Give it a little push down and be patient.

- This should take about 3 minutes a side. Once your confident that the cheese has stuck the top down, hold your breath and give it a confidence filled flip. Push any filling back inside if it has fallen out and cook for another 3 minutes on that side. They should be a golden colour on each side and the cheese should be melted.

- Repeat this until all your ingredients and tortillas have been used up, cut into wedges and serve with guacamole.

** I got my dried chipotle chilli's from Essential Ingredient online.