As the nights draw in, treat yourself to an ultimate comfort meal. Try this delicious recipe for quesadillas from Celebrity MasterChef finalist Joe Swash’s new cookbook, Joe’s Kitchen, which is packed with recipes that the whole family will love.
My kids love a quesadilla, and they make a great snack to serve up when they have friends round. I’ve suggested some extras, but you could also add guacamole, soured cream, leftover veg – whatever you fancy. I do put some fresh coriander in my quesadillas but it’s a herb some people love and some hate. For most, it has a lemony taste, but if you have a particular gene, this herb tastes like soap! I’m one of those people but I see it as my problem, not everyone else’s.
SERVES 4-6
REFRIED BEANS
1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
1 red pepper, finely chopped (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp mild chilli powder or hot sauce
400g tin black, kidney or pinto beans, drained
salt and black pepper
TO ASSEMBLE
4–6 tortillas (depending on size) 100g sweetcorn kernels
125g Cheddar, grated
OPTIONAL EXTRAS
pickled jalapeños
chopped coriander
2 spring onions, finely slice
First make the refried beans. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the onion and red pepper, if using. Cook gently over a medium heat until the onion is translucent and both onion and pepper have softened, adding the garlic for the last couple of minutes. Stir in the cumin, oregano and chilli powder or sauce.
Add the beans and about 50ml of water and season with salt and pepper. Stir until the beans are heated through. Mash roughly in the pan and continue to cook until the beans come away cleanly from the base of the pan – they need to be quite dry.
To assemble, spread a couple of tablespoons of the refried beans over one half of each tortilla. Sprinkle with the sweetcorn, cheese and any of the optional extras, and fold in half. Repeat with the remaining tortillas.
Heat a frying pan. Cook the quesadillas over a medium heat for a few minutes on each side until the cheese has melted and the outside is lightly brown and crisp. Cut into wedges. The easiest way to do this without the mixture spilling out is with a pizza cutter.
Order Joe’s Kitchen by Joe Swash here.
