Cheese quesadillas get a fancy makeover
This sweet potato quesadilla recipe invites black beans, pickled jalapeños, and Camembert cheese to the taste party in your face.
I love recipes that mix a lot of flavours together; the sweetness of the potatoes and black beans, the spice from the jalapeños, and the salty bitterness of the Camembert go together surprisingly well. Then again, I also like pineapple, jalapeños, and bacon bits on my pizza, so take what I say with a grain of salt.
Everything in this recipe is pretty straightforward, but I know soft cheese or Camembert might be new to some. If you’ve had Brie, Camembert is kind of like that but saltier and with a slightly bitter aftertaste.
Most often, people are unsure of whether it’s okay to eat the outer layer (or rind) of soft cheeses. They are perfectly safe to eat, but they also have a pretty strong flavour, which you might not enjoy. Taste a bit and if you like it keep it on. If you don’t, feel free to cut it off.
Another difficulty with soft cheese is that it can be difficult to cut. There are special knives with holes in the blade that minimize the surface area the cheese has to cling to. Then again, if you don’t want to buy a fancy soft cheese knife, just cut the cheese—stop laughing—as soon as you take it out of the fridge.
Ingredients
2 large sweet potatoes; cut into 3 to 4 large chunks
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1 small onion, finely chopped (optional)
1 large clove of garlic; minced finely
1 can of black beans; rinsed and drained well
1 small round of soft cheese such as Camembert or Brie (use mozzarella if you don’t like soft cheese)
Pickled jalapeños, to taste
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
1 1/2 tablespoons chilli powder (the Mexican kind with oregano, paprika, cumin, and more in it)
1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
6 10-inch flour tortillas or your favourite size and type
Directions
Fill a large pot with water and bring to a boil. It will boil quicker if you put a lid on it.
Add sweet potato chunks to boiling water. Bring to a boil again with the lid off to keep it from boiling over. Once boiling, replace lid and simmer. To make sure the potatoes are done, I usually see if a chopstick is easily inserted.
When potatoes are done, remove from water, let cool slightly, and then use a couple of forks to remove the skins.
In a medium saucepan, heat oil over medium heat and then add onions.
When onions are starting to brown, add garlic. Cook for a couple of minutes. Add salt, chilli powder, and then sweet potatoes. Stir until combined, add cinnamon, stir, and remove from heat.
In a large pan, cook all of the tortillas on one side until they are golden brown. The reason to cook them on just one side is that that is the side that you will load up with fillings and it will make it much easier to flip your quesadilla.
Split the sweet potato mash into equal parts based on how many quesadillas you’re making; in this case, spread a third of the filling evenly over the cooked side of a tortilla.
Top the sweet potato layer with about half a cup of black beans (the beans will stick in the potato and not fall out while cooking), then top with jalapeños and cheese. Add the other half-cooked tortilla; make sure the cooked side is on the inside.
Return to the pan and cook both sides until golden brown. If you find it difficult to flip the quesadilla in one go, transfer it to a plate and flip it there before returning it to the pan.
Slice into six pieces using a pizza cutter or a large knife.
Enjoy as is or with sour cream and salsa. As for leftovers, heat in the microwave for 30 seconds or heat in a frying pan until crisp, and enjoy some more.
Photos by Mirali Almaula/The Ontarion.