Frijoladillas: Vegan Quesadillas

Non-vegan quesadilla purists might scoff at this recipe, which has no cheese and no pretense to cheesiness (save for, perhaps, the nutritional yeast, but it enhances the flavor, rather than makes it cheeselike.) I'm sure it's possible to make a fine quesadilla from Chao Slices or similar products, but the goal here was to make something satisfying and very nutritious. The filling they include in the recipe goes a long way. I simplified it a bit, and found that additional tomatoes were not necessary; they would water the consistency too much. As it is, it comes out tasting somewhere between a quesadilla and a pupusa de frijoles. Good stuff.

Part I: Filling

1 can Great Northern beans, drained and rinsed
3/4 cup Pomi or similar tomato product
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup black beans

mix all ingredients save for the black beans in the food processor. Then, add the black beans and mix with a spoon.

Part II: Assembly

corn tortillas

Heat up a pan (I did not use oil). Place a tortilla on the pan, a generous spoonful of the mix from Part I in the middle, and another tortilla on top. Cook for a few moments on each side, until the filling is hot and the tortilla has a magical, between-fluffy-and-crunchy texture. Serve hot on a generous bed of greens.

BONUS! The filling of the frijoladillas makes for a terrific soup base. Just add black beans and vegetables - I used kale, carrots, tomatoes, onion and garlic - and cook together for a delicious black bean soup.