Refried Bean Quesadillas
Course:
Dinner
Total Time:
2 hours, 30 minutes
Ingredients
Beans (simmering)
- 175 grams Pinto Beans (dried)
- 0.5 Onion (whole)
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 2 cloves Garlic (whole)
- Salt
Beans (refried)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
- 0.5 Onion (finely diced)
- 4 cloves Garlic (smashed)
- 2 teaspoons Cumin
- 2 teaspoons Paprika
- 2 teaspoons Dried Oregano
- 1 teaspoon Chilli Flakes
- Salt
- Black Pepper
- 250 millilitres Water (bean water!)
- Fresh Coriander
- 1 Lime Juice
Pico de Gallo
- 1 Red Pepper (very finely diced)
- 1 Red Onion (very finely diced)
- 1 Tomatoes (very finely diced)
- 1 Jalapeño (very finely diced)
- Fresh Coriander
- 1 Lime Juice
- 1⁄2 teaspoons Salt
Quesadillas
- 4 Flour Tortillas
- 60 grams Manchego Cheese (15g per quesadilla)
- 60 grams Cheddar Cheese (15g per quesadilla)
- 1 tablespoon Olive Oil
Notes
High effort but very good!
Use 30g cheese per quesadilla
Steps
Night before:
- Weigh out the beans. Pick out any that are split or shrivelled. Rinse them to remove any rocks or debris.
- Add the beans to a bowl with salt, cover with cold water, and soak overnight. Put in the fridge if soaking for >8 hours.
Next day: simmer beans (1 hour):
- The next day, drain the beans. Add to a pot with half an onion (whole), garlic (whole cloves), bay leaf, salt, and cover with fresh, cold water by at least 2 inches.
- Bring to a boil over high heat. Boil on high for 10 minutes, then reduce to medium-low and let simmer for 1 hour.
- Drain beans, reserving bean-cooking liquid. Discard the onion.
Make refried beans:
- Put oil in a frying pan over medium heat.
- When hot, put in the diced onion (remaining half) with a pinch of salt and a generous grind of black pepper.
- Cook, stirring often, until the onion is starting to soften and colour -- 7 minutes.
- Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir in the cumin, paprika, oregano, chilli, another grind of black pepper, and cook for a further minute, stirring constantly to prevent sticking.
- Add the drained beans and fry, stirring around, for a minute or so.
- Stir in approximately 250 ml of your reserved bean stock water (a little at a time), turn up the heat and bring to a simmer.
- Turn the heat down to medium-low and simmer gently until the onion is soft and the beans have a small amount of liquid cloaking them (8 - 10 min.)
- Take the saucepan off the heat and use a fork or potato masher to break the beans down into a chunky puree (or mash further if you prefer a smoother consistency).
- Put back on medium-low and fry for another couple of minutes, stirring all the time. If the mixture is dryer than you'd like, add more stock or water.
- Taste for seasoning.
- Take off the heat, stir in the chopped coriander and squeeze in lime juice to taste.
Pico de Gallo:
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl.
Quesadillas:
- Heat a cast iron pan over medium heat (7).
- Divide the refried beans between the two tortillas, spreading over one half of each and leaving a bare edge all around.
- Sprinkle the fresh salsa over the refried beans.
- Sprinkle the cheese over the salsa.
- Fold the tortillas in half and gently press down.
- Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and let it heat up.
- When hot put in the folded tortillas (if they don't both fit, you can cook in batches or use two pans).
- Cook until the undersides are golden brown (2 - 3 minutes)
- Carefully turn (add the remaining tsp of oil or spray again if necessary) then cook for another 2 - 3 minutes or until both sides are crispy, the filling hot, and the cheese melting.
Resources:
Source: https://moorlandseater.com/refried-bean-quesadillas/