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Recipe of the Month

Black Bean Quesadillas

The Omega Diet, 1999 by Artemis Simopoulous

Photo of Black Beans

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 Tbsp canola or olive oil
  • 1 small onion, chopped
  • 1 carrot, thinly sliced or grated
  • 1/2 cup chopped or grated purple or green cabbage
  • 2 cups chopped spinach leaves
  • 3 Tbsp fresh cilantro or parsley
  • 1 15-ounce can black beans (rinse beans in a colander to wash off excess sodium)
  • Salt to taste
  • 1/2 tsp cumin
  • 1/2 tsp chili powder
  • 4 medium-sized tortillas
  • 4 Tbsp grated cheese (such as jack, feta, mozzarella, or Parmesan)
  • Optional toppings: yogurt, salsa, and/or avocados

Directions:

  1. Sauté onion, carrot, and purple cabbage in oil for 3-5 minutes.
  2. Add spinach, cilantro or parsley, beans, and seasonings. Cook until the spinach is wilted. Keep warm.
  3. Heat 1 tsp of canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat (Don't let oil smoke). Spritz or brush a tortilla on both sides with a small amount of water. Place in the pan and cook until lightly browned. The tortilla should be crisp.
  4. Spoon in the still warm filling and double over. Sprinkle each tortilla with 1 Tbsp cheese. Top with yogurt and salsa if desired.

Yield

4 tortillas

Nutritional Information

Nutrition per serving: Calories 105; fat 4.3g (sat 2g, unsat 2.3g); protein 5g; carb 12g; chol 7.4mg; sodium 53mg.

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Nutrition Tip

Beans

Beans may have a bad reputation because of their after-dinner effects, but these legumes provide powerful benefits. First of all, they offer an excellent source of protein that, unlike animal meat, is low in artery-clogging saturated fat. Although beans are not a complete protein — meaning they don't contain all the essential amino acids needed to make proteins in our body — we get the other amino acids in our diet from nuts, grains, dairy, and meats throughout the day.

Beans are also an excellent source of soluble fiber. Including fiber in our diets not only helps prevent chronic diseases such as hemorrhoids, diverticulosis, and constipation, but has also been linked to lowering the risk of colon and breast cancer. Soluble fiber has an added benefit — it can help lower bad cholesterol. Because it's water soluble (hence the name soluble fiber), it soaks up fluid in the intestines and forms a gel. The gel binds and traps harmful LDL cholesterol and carries it out of the body. Soluble fiber also takes longer to break down, slowing stomach emptying. This helps regulate blood sugar and makes you feel fuller for a longer period of time.