New Recipe #8: Tomatillo and Black Bean Quesadillas

All my girlfriends know I love quesadillas.  But this one makes one of my favorite simple meals a little more nutritious with the addition of tomatillos and black beans.  You could go one step further and use wheat tortillas, but why ruin a good thing?  This recipe was adapted from Better Homes and Gardens: Fresh and Simple: 20-Minute Super Suppers.

3/4 cup coarsely chopped tomatillos 
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp olive oil
1 15-oz can black beans, rinsed and drained
Flour tortillas
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

In a large nonstick skillet cook and stir tomatillos and cumin in olive oil over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes or until crisp-tender.  Add beans; cook and stir about 2 minutes more or until heated through.  Transfer to a bowl; set aside.

You can then use the same skillet to cook the quesadillas.  In case you're unfamiliar with how to do so, here's a quick run down: toss a tortilla on a heated skillet, throw on a handful of cheese, add tomatillo-bean mixture, top with a second tortilla.  I like to serve it with a side of fresh guacamole.  Admittedly, I serve the kids theirs as plain bean and cheese.  I plan to slowly over time sneak the tomatillos and spice into their servings too.

Our scores:
Adel - 8/10 good with a big heap of sour cream, salsa, and homemade guac.
Megan - 10/10 can't beat melted cheese
Isaac - 8/10 picks out the beans first (mom makes him eat them); then eats the quesadilla
Abby - 10/10 anything for an excuse to eat sour cream