Recipe Ali Irvine

Serving size: Serves 4
Cuisine type: Mexican
Cooking time: Less than 60 minutes
Course: Main
Favourite flavours: Beef, Easy recipes
Convenience recipes: four or less

Real Living recipe for beef and bean quesadilla stacks with spiced guacamole.

INGREDIENTS

Filling
1½ tbsp olive oil
1 brown onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
500g beef mince
1 tsp ground cumin
3 tsp onion powder
3 tsp garlic salt
1½ tsp ground paprika (mild or hot depending on taste)
1 cup tomato passata
2 tsp sugar
400g tin red kidney beans, drained & rinsed
Handful coriander leaves, chopped roughly
Sea salt & cracked black pepper

Guacamole
2 ripe avocadoes
Pinch chilli powder to taste (optional)
1 tomato, seeded & chopped
1 spring onion, sliced
3 tsp lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
Sea salt & cracked black pepper

To assemble
12 tortillas
2 2/3 cups grated mozzarella cheese
Light sour cream & lime wedges

Equipment
Sharp knife
Colander
Large frying pan
Spoon
Large mixing bowl
Fork
Microplane or fine grater
Chargrill plate or barbecue
Spatula

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) if using a chargrill pan so you can keep the first 2 warm while you cook the remaining quesadillas.

Make filling Heat olive oil in frying pan over medium-high heat. Cook onions for a few mins, then add garlic and cook for a further 2 mins. Add mince and cook for a few mins until mince is browned. Add cumin, onion powder, garlic salt and paprika; cook for 1 min, then add passata, sugar and kidney beans. Cook for a further few mins until mince is cooked. Stir through coriander and season with salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.

Make guacamole Mash avocado flesh in medium mixing bowl. Add chilli powder, tomatoes, spring onions, lime juice and zest; stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste and garnish with an extra sprinkling of chilli powder.

Assemble quesadillas Heat chargrill pan or flat plate of barbecue over medium heat. Spread ½ cup beef and beans over 1 tortilla and sprinkle with 13 cup of mozzarella. Top with another tortilla, repeat with filling, then top with a final tortilla. Press down well. Repeat to make rest of quesadillas.

Cook quesadillas for 2 to 3 mins on each side until crisp and cheese melted. (If cooking on a chargrill plate, place first 2 quesadillas on baking tray and repeat with remaining 2.)

Serve Cut each quesadilla into quarters and serve with spiced guacamole, sour cream and lime.