Beet and Kale Quesadillas with White Bean Garlic Spread

Again, it's been forever since I posted. Oops! I've still been cooking, just forgetting to blog and take pictures about it. Of course, finals and moving week probably isn't the best time to re-start this, but I made up something yummy last night and wanted to write it down before I forgot about it. 


I am moving in about a week and a half, having finished law school (woo!) and wanted to make something using up what I had on hand - a beet, some carrots, an onion, some kale, and tortillas. The wonderful farmers market quesadillas filled with sauteed veggies at Patty Pan in Seattle were my inspiration, along with a recipe I saw awhile ago for a white bean "cheesy" spread for a pizza as I had a can of white beans to use up, too. I thought I'd combine the two and see what happens... the result was pretty yummy!

Ingredients:

• 1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed (I used white kidney, but cannellini work too)
• two tablespoons olive oil
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/3 cup water or veggie broth
• 1 beet, rinsed, peeled, and sliced into thin coins
• about 4 carrots, also sliced into coins
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 cup of kale, rinsed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• flour or corn tortillas 
• salt, pepper, other seasoning to taste

To make the spread, sautee the garlic and olive oil over medium heat until the garlic is soft. Add the beans and the water/broth, and some salt and pepper to taste. I actually threw in some Italian Seasoning too, but that's optional. Turn the heat a little lower and stir the beans until they gradually mash up into a spreadable consistency, usually takes about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside. You could throw them in a food processor or blender if you wanted it even smoother, and feel free to add a small amount of water until you get the consistency you want (thick, but spreadable is ideal). 

For the veggie filling, just throw your beets, carrots, and onion into a saucepan/skillet and sautee with a little bit of oil or water/veggie broth (if you want lower fat). I covered it so it would cook faster, and added the kale for the last few minutes so it got soft, too. 

To make the quesadilla, just spread the bean spread on a tortilla, add as many veggies as you want, and cook on the saucepan or a griddle. Mmmmmmm..... I also made one with some pesto (pesto recipe is below) and some vegan cheese sauce mix from Pigs Peace, but the white bean was the best!