Zucchini, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas

Most people are passionate about- or slightly obsessed with- something. For some it's their clothes, their car, or their pet. They're willing to go to great lengths for whatever it is they care about. Some people are willing to camp out all night in the snow to get tickets to a ball game.  Or stand in line for hours at midnight in wizarding robes to be the first to see a movie. (Which I might have witnessed in person- once.) Or run through blizzards, heat waves, and/or a sprain to train for a race. We're all a little quirky when it comes to our thing. For me, it happens to be food.

When I was staying with my family in Northern Virginia last week I decided to make this pizza and I needed barbecue sauce. But not just any old sauce would do. My family was shocked when I informed them that I would be taking a trip to Trader Joe's to obtain a bottle of my favorite barbecue sauce. You see, Trader Joe's isn't next door. It's a good twenty minute drive- minimum. And I was braving rush hour. But nothing could deter me. So they rolled their eyes and wished me well.

The trip took well over an hour. (Traffic up there sucks. It's a fact.) But it didn't bother me. Looking back, I probably seemed a little bit crazy. But the truth is, I just really like to cook! I want the food I make, what I eat, and what I feed to others to be awesome. While most people wouldn't make that drive if you paid them, to me it was barely inconvenient. And while a bottle of barbecue sauce is admittedly insignificant, it illustrates my point perfectly. We all love something. This is what I love to do.

I won't be reposting that pizza recipe. It's tucked away in the archives if you want to try it (and you should). Today I'm sharing another recipe I made for my family. They were a bit hesitant when I told them I was making veggie and bean quesadillas. They're frequent meat-eating folks. But my mom, probably happy to not have to cook, convinced me to make enough for everyone. And so I made near a dozen of these cheesy corn and zucchini discs over the last week. And everyone loved them. I used fresh corn cut off the cob (since it's now in season) which I lightly sauteed with jalapeno and zucchini, tossed with black beans and cilantro, and smothered in Pepper Jack cheese. Health-friendly, fast, and family-approved.

Zucchini, Corn, and Black Bean Quesadillas

INGREDIENTS
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 small red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
1 small zucchini, finely diced
1 tsp. chili powder
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
fresh cilantro, chopped + extra for garnish
8 medium whole wheat flour tortillas
12 oz. Pepper Jack cheese, grated
sour cream, for serving
salsa, for serving

DIRECTIONS
1. Heat olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add onion and jalapeno and cooked until softened. Stir in corn and zucchini. Season with chili powder, salt, and pepper. Cook until the zucchini is tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in the black beans to warm through.

2. Preheat a large skillet or griddle over medium heat. Place a tortilla on the skillet and sprinkle with cheese. Spread several spoonfuls of the filling over the cheese. Sprinkle with cilantro. Top with more cheese and a second tortilla. Cook, flipping halfway through, until the tortilla is crisp and golden brown and the cheese has melted. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Slice and serve with sour cream and salsa and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Makes 4 quesadillas.

(Adapted from Food and Wine)