Vegan Quesadilla With A Hearty Corn Black Bean And Avocado Filling

Directions

To make the filling

1. To get started, begin by preparing the veggie quesadilla filling. Take your canned black beans and sweetcorn and use a sieve to drain off all the excess water.
2. Mix the beans and corn together in a mixing bowl and place it to one side.
3. Next, heat up a tablespoon of olive oil in a frying pan or skillet and add your chopped onion and garlic. Mix in the cayenne pepper (you can increase or decrease the amount depending on how spicy you would like your vegan quesadillas to be) along with the cumin and continue to cook the mixed ingredients until such a point as the onions are soft and translucent.
4. Once the onions are done, add the black bean and sweetcorn mixture to the pan and combine all the ingredients. Continue to gently sautee the filling until the beans and corn are warmed through.
5. Season the pan with salt and pepper according to your preference, and set the mixture aside.
6. To make the guacamole, mash your ripe avocados with a fork (you can decide how smooth or chunky you would like the finished guacamole to be), add the freshly squeezed lime juice, and season with salt and pepper. You may wish to add a clove of finely minced garlic to your guacamole, but as we have included garlic in the filling, it's not absolutely necessary.

To construct the vegan quesadillas

1. Clean and dry your pan, and place it back over a medium to high heat on the stovetop. Add one of the tortillas and toast it for a few seconds on each side until it is browned slightly and becomes more pliable.
2. Add a couple of spoons of the black bean and corn mix to one side of the tortilla, and top this with a spoon of guacamole, and then a sprinkling of the shredded vegan cheese.
3. Roll the other side of the tortilla over to cover the filling, and press it down gently with a spoon so that it sticks to the mixture and won't fall open.
4. Toast each of your vegan quesadillas one after the other for 2 min per side, or until they are toasted to your liking.
5. If you prefer to use the oven, this recipe also works well for a baked quesadilla. Instead of toasting, wrap the vegan quesadillas in aluminum foil and bake in the oven on an oven-safe skillet for around 20 minutes at 350F.
6. Cut each of the vegan quesadillas into three pieces and serve with a selection of dips. Soured cream (the vegan version, of course!) is a popular one, as well as salsa, hot sauce, and pico de gallo. Vegan quesadillas also go well with a green salad, potato salad, or rice.