Happy day-after Halloween, who’s ready to cook? No one… That’s what I thought. So before we head to Thanksgiving Town, I thought I’d share another quick and easy (and tasty) meal you can throw together using last night’s leftovers…
Just like the picture says – take your leftovers from this salad, add some black beans (maybe a few more spices), and some cheese… fold it into tortillas… then dig in to some pretty hearty & healthy quesadillas.
Of course, cook these on your stovetop and not on your marble countertop.
quinoa quesadillas
Author: Jeanine Donofrio
Serves: serves 2
Ingredients
- Leftover quinoa salad (about 1 cup)
- ½ cup black beans, cooked and rinsed
- ½ cup shredded cheese (cheddar/jack mix or daiya)
- small handful of wilty greens
- ½ teaspoon each, chile powder, cumin, and paprika
- 4 wheat or corn tortillas
optional toppings:
- cilantro
- sour cream (or greek yogurt + lemon + salt)
- avocado slices
- store bought green chile salsa
Instructions
- Take your leftover quinoa salad, add some black beans and some additional spices. (to taste).
- Place tortilla in a small skillet over medium heat. Add filling and cheese. Fold tortilla in half and press down with the back of a spatula so the cheese melts and starts to stick everything together.
- Flip and cook for a few more minutes. Remove from heat, slice, and serve with whatever garnishes you like.
Notes
if you don't have leftover quinoa salad, you can start fresh by mixing some quinoa together with a few roasted sweet potatoes, a little olive oil, salt, and additional spices to taste.
These were crazy good! Going into the family rotation.
Where do you find whole grain tortillas that actually taste good? I prefer the taste of whole grain bread and whole grain pasta from the store but have yet to find a whole grain tortilla that tastes good. I’ve tried Trader Joe’s and Mission brand. Recommendations?
Hi Whitney, I haven’t tried Trader Joe’s or Mission’s tortillas so I can’t compare, but I like the whole wheat tortillas at Whole Foods (their generic brand). If I’m not making quesadillas with them, I usually char them a little on both sides over my gas stove – it helps the flavor taste more fresh. I hope that helps!
OMG how yummy! Think we might have our hand at this for our upcoming recipe this weekend.
Wow – what a great way to use quinoa! I think I just got inspired to do a lot more with it in the future, than just serving it as a side dish. Thanks 🙂
Looks very delicious! I must to try it!
These look phenomenal! All your food looks delish AMD healthy. I am confused as to which recipes YOU actually eat though? You’re particularly… Thin and speak of lactose sensitivity … Do you actually eat anything other than green juice
Hi J,
Thanks! I eat absolutely everything I post here (nearly every post is our real-life dinner!). I eat dairy in moderation and I’ve actually found that I’m ok with higher quality cheeses… I have a harder time with processed dairy (and also milk and cream, which has more lactose – which is why I use almond milk and coconut milk a lot).
Sometimes (as in this quesadilla case), I’ll put more cheese in Jack’s and just a little bit in mine. I enjoy a green juice from time to time in the morning or as a mid-day snack – hardly ever as a replacement for a real meal… I love food!
GIVE THIS TO MEEEEEE.
Wow, I love this! Quinoa in a quesadilla? Yes!
What an amazing way to use up leftovers!
I’ve never thought to put quinoa in quesadillas! What a great way to bulk them up without adding more fattening ingredients!
So gorgeous! I eat this sort of thing all the time, but mine never look this beautiful.
Ooh these sound so good! And regarding your marble countertop, I wish I had one of those too for my blog photography this weekend – love the look!
I’m all over this. LOVE!
what a great new way to use up quinoa!!! + anything mexican flavoured… this will definitely be a hit in my household.
Yum! I never thought about using quinoa in a quesadilla. Nom nom
Hahaha I love your little disclaimer! Duh of course they do! I love re-purposing leftovers. So smart.
Such a great idea! I have some leftover black beans in the fridge at home that could use some quesadilla love. 🙂
This is such a great idea! I never even thought of incorporating quinoa like this. I always placed it as a side dish/entree. x