Ottolenghi's Quesadillas

This is a really healthy vegetarian quesadilla recipe that comes form Ottolenghi's "Plenty". The unique flavor is loaded in the bean paste. I used greek yogurt in place of sour cream and it was excellent.

Ingredients

8 small flour tortillas

¾ cup of sour cream
4 ½ ounces good quality sharp Cheddar, grated
6 tablespoons jarred jalapeños, roughly chopped

Black Bean Paste
1 ½ cups cooked black beans (canned fine)
1 teaspoons of ground coriander
½ teaspoon of cumin
¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
1 bunch of coriander, roughly chopped (leaves and stems)
Juice of 1/2-1 limes (to taste)
½ teaspoon of table salt

Salsa
½ medium red onion, sliced thinly
½ tablespoon of white wine vinegar
3 spring onions, thinly sliced
5 medium ripe tomatoes, diced
2 ripe avocados, diced
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 fresh red chili, diced
Juice of 1/2 lime
¾ teaspoon of table salt
1 bunch of fresh cilantro (leaves and stalks, about 1 oz), finely chopped, plus extra leaves to garnish
¾ teaspoons salt

Method

1.  Start by making the bean paste: add all ingredients to the food processor and pulse a few times, until a rough paste has formed.

2.  For the salsa, soak the red onion in a large bowl with the vinegar for a few minutes, then add all the other ingredients and stir well.

3. Heat grill or griddle pan on medium heat.

4.  For each quesadilla, take one tortilla and spread about 3 tablespoons of bean paste over it, creating a large circle in the centre, but leaving about a 2 cm rim from the edge. Over one half of the bean spread, spread about 1 tablespoon of sour cream, sprinkle with cheddar and top with about 1 tablespoons of salsa. Top with some jalapeños. Fold over the other tortilla half.

5. To cook, carefully place each quesadilla on hot griddle pan and cook for about 2 minutes on each side. The filling should be warm and the tortillas nicely charred.

6.  Transfer quesadillas to a serving place, slice in half (or quarters) and enjoy immediately!