I wanted to put this post up so I could thank my amazing, talented friend Sarah for her help with some of the photos on this website. We met Sarah at the top of Deer Valley one summer afternoon, right by the Montage. We ran around taking photos in the scenery, then took some still life photos of these quesadillas, then we ate them, then we went down to No Name Saloon on Main Street to cheers to our productive day! Sarah, you’re incredible. Thanks again for everything! Now here’s the recipe for those quesadillas… I make all sorts of variations of these, so you’ll be seeing them again for sure.
EVOO (Extra virgin olive oil)
1/4 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
MIM Ocho Spice Mix (sprinkle of each: salt, pepper, cumin, coriander, chili powder, garlic powder, oregano, cayenne)
1/2 bell pepper, diced (any color or color combinations)
1 handful of kale; chopped
1 roma tomato; diced
1 cup beans of your choices (black, pinto, kidney, garbanzo, or mixed)
1 TBS of salsa and/or 1/2 fresh lime
1 TBS earth balance vegan butter
Vegan cheddar cheese
Tortillas of your choice
Avocados
Cilantro (optional, I know some people can’t stand cilantro!)
Heat EVOO in skillet over medium low, add the onion, garlic and a dash of the MIM Ocho Spice Mix. Heat and stir until onion starts to soften. Add the bell pepper, kale, tomatoes and more Spice Mix. Stir around until peppers soften & kale wilts. Put half the beans in a small bowl & smash with a fork to smoosh a little. Now add all beans, including the smashed, to the saute pan with the veggies. Add another dash of the Spice Mix. Add a little salsa or fresh lime juice to moisten the mixture. Simmer on low until everything is combined well and the texture is thick but still moist. Add more salsa/lime juice/or water if you need to loosen the mixture.
Heat a dry skillet on medium and grease with earth balance vegan butter. Place one tortilla down and add a scoop of the mixture on one half. Top with the vegan cheese then fold over. Cook a couple minutes then flip to crisp the other half. Keep checking the bottom side so as not to burn. Continue until you use all the filling and tortillas. This should fill about 4 tortillas. Chop the quesadillas and serve with lots of avocado and cilantro. Enjoy!