Avocado Mango Black Bean Quesadillas

Aug 10, 2017, Updated Jan 02, 2018

I spent this weekend in Alaska. It was a nice break and the beautiful landscape definitely made me feel better. Other than doing the regular touristy stuff, we also hiked a glacier. Yeah first time for me and I thought I would break my legs but thank god I survived, all thanks to our tour guide. We also drove to Denali National Park and it was absolutely gorgeous, too bad we just had a day there. We are definitely thinking of going back to Alaska sometime soon, maybe in winters this time to try and catch the northern lights. Have you guys been to Alaska? I would love to know what you loved the most there! The highlight of the trip for me was definitely watching this glacier, it was so so pretty, I was mesmerized.

Vacations are always nice, the tough part is getting back to the routine once they are over. During such days, I am always looking out for quick and easy dinner ideas and today I am sharing with you guys one such idea, which I absolutely love! Mango season is almost coming to and end. Of course, Sarvesh refuses to believe it but that’s him, a mango addict. He would buy and eat mangoes even in December-January! Anyway before we bid farewell to summer and mangoes, I thought of sharing a recipe with you guys featuring every Indian’s (almost!) favorite fruit – mangoes! I have been hooked onto the combination of avocados and mango ever since I made this mango avocado salsa last year. If you guys have not tried that recipe, I insist you must do. It’s so refreshing and perfect for summer. I make that salsa often and few weeks back, I thought of using it in a quesadilla recipe and here it is! These Avocado Mango Black Bean Quesadillas are not only easy to make but would also be perfect for your summer parties.

There are basically 2 main parts to these Avocado Mango Black Bean Quesadillas

Black Bean Filling: It’s a simple filling of onion, red pepper and black beans. To add flavor, I have used chipotle powder, cumin powder and some ancho chile powder. You can adjust these spices to taste. Mango Avocado Salsa: Mashed avocados with mangoes, garlic, lime juice and cilantro. It’s so good you guys! Once you have these 2 things ready, you just need to layer them up inside the tortillas, add cheese and cook the quesadillas till nice and brown. I have added little cheese here but you can keep them vegan, just skip the cheese in that case. They would still be very good. In fact while making these, I made few without the cheese and I think I liked them a wee bit more. But that’s me – not a cheese lover, you may add as much cheese as you like.

I know Mexican food is usually hot, but you guys know me, I can’t handle too much heat. So these quesadillas are packed with flavors but not too crazy on heat. There’s chipotle and ancho chile powder in there to spice things up but if that’s not enough for you, feel free to add as much as you like. You might also add some jalapenos, would definitely be good. In fact a little spice in here would not be bad because it’s perfectly balanced with the sweetness of mangoes. Serve these quesadillas with some sour cream or your favorite salsa. I ate them as such!

Method

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Once oil it hot, add the garlic and onions. Saute for a minute. Add sliced red bell pepper and cook for a minute. Then add black beans and cook for another minute. Stir in chipotle powder, cumin powder, ancho chile powder, salt and pepper. Mix till everything is well combined. Cook for additional 2-3 minutes till beans are nice and softened. Add in chopped cilantro and lime juice. Mix to combine. Set aside the filling.

In a bowl, scoop out the avocado flesh. Using a fork mash the avocados. Add chopped garlic, salt, pepper and mix to combine. Add in the chopped mango cubes and mix. Add cilantro, fresh lime juice and mix to combine. Set aside the salsa. To assemble the quesadillas. Take the corn tortilla, place around 3 tablespoons of filling on one side [Note: the tortillas I used were pretty small, you may need more filling if you use larger tortillas]. Then place the avocado mango salsa on top of the filling. Finally top with cheese and fold the tortilla in half. Press gently to flatten. You may also spread the filling on the entire tortilla, place another tortilla on top and then cook it. Repeat with the remaining tortillas. Heat a teaspoon on oil in a pan on medium heat or spray pan with a non-stick spray. Add the prepared quesadillas to the pan. Cook them, turning once, until golden on both sides, around 2-3 minutes in total. Cook all the quesadillas in a similar way. Place quesadillas on serving plate. Cut them in half using a pizza cutter. Serve the avocado mango black bean quesadillas with sour cream, salsa or sliced avocados!