Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

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Black Bean and Goat Cheese Quesadillas

Why this recipe works: our take on a savory, half moon quesadilla relies on canned black beans for substance and two kinds of cheese for texture and flavor. Canned black beans are known to vary widely in quality, so be careful when you go ingredients shopping. Tin the test kitchen, we use Bush’s Best Black Beans for their firm, almost all dente texture and clean, slightly earthy taste. Buying quality flour tortillas can be a crapshoot, too. Our advice: get the thinnest 12 inch flour tortillas you can find; thick ones tend to be doughy and taste stale. For the cheese, mild Monterey Jack provides the best melted texture while still allowing the tanginess of the goat cheese to shine through. Chopped cilantro gives the filling a distinct, lively flavor, and a little ground cumin adds peppery bite. To add some heat, we throw in a single jalapeño chile that’s been seeded and mince. If you are an adventurous eater and think you can handle more heat, add some of the seeds to the filling. Combining all the ingredients before assembling the quesadillas(rather than layering them all piecemeal) ensures that each bite contains a little bit of everythings.

Black bean and goat cheese quesadillas

Ingredients: serve 4

1 (16 ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 (4 ounce) log goat cheese, crumbled

1 ½ cusp shredded Monterey jack cheese

1 jalapeño chile, seeded and minced

¼ chopped fresh cilantro

¼ teaspoon ground cumin

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

4 (12 inch) flour tortillas

Procedures:

1. combine beans, goat cheese, Monterey jack, jalapeño, cilantro, cumin, salt, and pepper in large bowl. Divide cheese mixture evenly over one half of each tortilla, leaving ½ inch border around edge. Fold tortillas over filling and press down firmly.
2. add 2 quesadillas to large nonstick skillet and cook over medium high heat until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using spatula, flip quesadillas and cook until golden brown and cheese is melted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to cutting board and repeat with remaining quesadillas. Cut into wedge. Serve

Easy quesadillas

To start, divide the cheese mixture evenly over one half of each tortilla, making sure to leave a ½ inch border around the edged. Fold each tortilla over its filling and press down firmly. To cook, add 2 quesadillas to large nonstick skillet and cook over medium high heat until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes.