Friday, January 16, 2009

Steak, Black Bean and Toasted Corn Quesadillas

Make these quesadillas one at a time and share the wedges while another batch cooks on the grill.

1 (8 to 12-ounce) cooked steak such as flank steak or sirloin

1 tablespoon olive oil
¼ small red onion, peeled and diced, about 2 tablespoons
2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and minced, about 1 teaspoon
1 large green bell pepper, seeded, veins removed and diced, about 1 cup
1 (16-ounce) can black beans, drained
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium jalapeno peppers, seeded, veins removed and diced, about 2 to 3 tablespoons
1 (16-ounce) can corn, drained
Salt and freshly ground pepper

8 (10-inch) flour tortillas
6 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated, about 1 ½ cups
6 ounces Monterrey Jack cheese, grated, about 1 ½ cups

Guacamole
Salsa
Sour Cream
Chopped Fresh cilantro

Bring the cooked steak to room temperature. Cut across the grain into thin slices. Set aside while you prepare the other ingredients.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Add the onion, garlic and bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the black beans and cook for 2 minutes more. Stir in the tomato paste and cumin. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the skillet from the heat.

Heat an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil in a separate, large skillet over medium high heat. Add the jalapeno peppers and cook for 2 minutes. Add the corn and cook for 2 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the mixture into a dish and set aside.

Spray the skillet that contained the corn mixture with vegetable oil spray and warm over medium high heat. Lay one tortilla shell into the skillet. Top with ¼ of the cheese, ¼ of the bean mixture, ¼ of the corn mixture and ¼ of the sliced steak. Place a second tortilla on top and push down lightly. Cook until the bottom tortilla begins to brown, about 2 minutes. Use a large spatula to carefully flip the quesadilla. Cook until the cheese begins to melt, about 2 minutes more. Repeat with the remaining ingredients.

Garnish with your favorite guacamole, salsa, sour cream and chopped fresh cilantro.

Yields 8 quesadillas
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes total


Sources and Substitutions
An alternate cooking method is to layer and grill each quesadilla, which allows you to make several at a time. Place 1 tortilla onto a grill over medium high heat. Top with cheese and steak. Add another tortilla. Top this one with the bean and corn mixtures. Add an extra sprinkling of cheese. Top with a third tortilla. Use 2 spatulas to flip the triple-decker quesadilla when the cheese is melted. Add more cheese as needed to keep the other ingredients in place!

No comments:

Related Posts with Thumbnails