Grilled Asparagus & Avocado Quesadilla

Farmers market asparagus is the highlight in this interesting and tasty quesadilla that was inspired by a taco recipe in Runners World magazine. That said, I am not sure what my favorite part is, the homemade white refried beans (made with oregano from my garden),

the grilled asparagus,

or the grilled avocado.

The flavors all blended so well, especially with some cheese (I used a salsa monterrey jack) and pico de gallo. My local store makes a very good pico de gallo, so since my tomatoes are not ripe yet, I opted to use theirs.

The next day I brought the leftover refried beans, pico de gallo and avocado as my work lunch to each with some tortilla chips…yum!

Grilled Asparagus & Avocado Quesadilla

For the refried beans:

1 cup dried white northern or cannellini beans

2 quarts water

1 serrano chili, minced

1 1/2 Tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 onion, minced

1/2 tsp dried oregano (from the garden)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the quesadilla:

8 small whole wheat flour tortillas

refried beans (see recipe)

1 lb asparagus, grilled and cut in half (from Beechwood Orchards)

2 avocados, cut in half and grilled (oil the avocado so it does not stick to the grill or grill pan), then sliced

4 ounces grated cheese (monterey, pepper, or salsa jack)

pico de gallo

Directions

Make the refried beans:

Bring the water to boil in a large pot. Pick over the beans to remove any discolored or shriveled ones. Add to the water with the serrano pepper, cover and reduce heat to a simmer.

Cook for about 1 hour 45 minutes, until the beans are tender. Reserve some cooking liquid, drain and roughly mash with a potato masher.

In a saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat. Saute the onion and oregano for about 10 minutes. Add the mashed beans, 1/2 Tbsp oil, and saute for about 10 minutes. Stir in lemon juice, season to taste with salt and pepper. I like the beans with some texture. If you desire a smoother mixture, you can transfer it to a food processor and process until smooth.

For the quesadilla:

Spray a 10-inch non-stick pan with olive oil. Heat over medium-high heat.

Build the quesadilla by placing one tortilla on a plate. Spread with a couple of tablespoons of refried beans. Top with asparagus and avocado slices, sprinkle with about 1 ounce shredded cheese.

Top with a second tortilla, transfer to the heated pan. Cook for 2 – 3 minutes, until the bottom tortilla is browned. Flip and cook another 2 – 3 minutes until the other side is browned and the cheese is melted.