While scanning the shelves of my local grocery shop thinking of what to make for breakfast, it suddenly struck me that I hadn’t had quesadillas in actual YEARS. Years! That’s it: To have them for breakfast!

Unfortunately, there’s just one problem: your average Panamanian grocery store really doesn’t stock vegan cheese. No matter; I am not a huge fan of faux-cheese anyway. But what to use to make the filling of these quesadillas creamy and delicious?

Of course: avocado!

Creamy, gorgeous and oh so satisfying, these are a perfect way to start your weekend!

You’ll need:
(Feeds 2)
6 taco-size flour tortillas
2 cups pinto or red kidney beans, canned
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 white onion, finely diced
1 large tomato, diced
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 red pepper, finely sliced
balsamic vinegar
1 large Hass avocado
salt
pepper

Method:
Place the beans into a small pan with the garlic, diced onion and 1 cup water
Cook over a medium heat until all the water has evaporated, then add in the tomato and paprika with a little more water and cook for another 5 minutes. Season to taste
While the beans are cooking, heat a little oil in a frying pan and fry the sliced red pepper for 5-6 minutes
Add a couple of dashes of balsamic vinegar to the pan and coat the peppers in it
When the beans are cooked down, remove them from the heat and mash with a fork. You can blend if you wish too but I prefer them a little more ‘rustic’
Remove the red peppers from the heat
Scoop the flesh out of the avocado and roughly mash it with a fork
Take one tortilla and spread 1/3 of the beans mixture on it, then top this with 1/3 of the red peppers and 1/3 of the avocado
Top with another tortilla and place into a hot, thick-bottomed pan
Cook for 1-2 minutes on one side, until browning, then flip and cook on the other side
Remove from the heat and cut into 4 or 6 pieces
Repeat for 2 more quesadillas then serve with a salad or tomato salsa

I really love the combination of flavours here as well as the texture, with their crunchy outsides and smooth insides (what was that the advert used to say? Just like an armadillo?).

This is so easy to make that it’s a definite keeper for lazy weekend mornings!