Black Bean & Sweet Potato Quesadillas

If you haven’t tried them already, another staple that you must have if you are gluten-free is La Tortilla Factory Smart and Delicious Wraps, Wheat Free Gluten Free.  They are delicious tortillas made from teff and millet, two very nutritious gluten-free grains.  You can use them in recipes where you would normally use a flour tortilla.  They are perfect for making burritos, wraps and also quesadillas!  However, if you are dairy-free, the word quesadilla seems like an oxymoron.  Ironically, this recipe works great with or without cheese.  I can eat a little goat cheese now and then, so I grated a little fresh goat cheddar and it was delicious.  But if that’s not for you, no worries, you will still enjoy it.  It’s a very hearty vegetarian meal with a little spice, perfect for an early autumn day. The bulk of the preparation to this recipe goes into preparing the sweet potato filling.  Here are the ingredients you will need:

2 medium sweet potatoes or yams

1 small poblano pepper, roasted

1/2 yellow onion

3 cloves garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp chili powder, more or less to taste
1/2 tsp cayenne or to taste
1/2 tsp sea salt

3 T olive oil

Cut the sweet potatoes into 1-inch pieces.  You can leave the skins on - as long as they are organic and well-scrubbed, the skins are very nutritious.  (Plus it is also a time-saver not to peel them!)  Process in a food processor until shredded.  Put the poblano pepper under the broiler for about 10 minutes, turning until all sides start to bubble and char.  Carefully peel back the skins and set aside to cool.  Dice the onion and mince the garlic.  Heat the olive oil in a heavy skillet and saute the onion and garlic until fragrant.  Add the shredded sweet potato, the spices and salt.  When the pepper is cool enough to handle, remove the seeds and dice the pepper.  Add this to the sweet potato mixture and saute for about 10 minutes, stirring often so it doesn’t stick to the pan and adding more olive oil if necessary.

Meanwhile, prepare 1 cup black beans, either from a can or if you freeze your own slow-cooked beans, bring them to a simmer on the stovetop, then drain.  In a larger skillet, heat a tortilla on one side.  Flip it over, then spoon half of the sweet potato mixture and half of the black beans.  If you are using cheese, grate some on top of this mixture.  Add some steamed kale or chard or spinach, then fold over the top.  Continue to heat until the cheese melts, flipping it if you dare, though it is challenging to do without losing bits of sweet potato all over the stove…finally, top with fresh tomato slices or homemade salsa, and serve.  (Shown above with one of the few fruits of my first tomato plant, which finally materialized here in September due to a colder and foggier than average summer in the Bay area.) Courtesy of: Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Sugar Free Blog

Makes 2 large Quesadillas