Sweet Potato-Spinach-Black Bean Quesadillas
This quesadilla recipe combines many of my favorite foods which are high nutrients: sweet potatoes, spinach, red pepper and black beans. It’s no secret, I love Mexican foods and so does my family. You can easily make this gluten-free if you substitute the whole wheat tortillas for corn tortillas. I like to top my quesadillas with a little salsa, some yummy guacamole, a dab of lite sour cream, and I make a side salad with diced tomatoes and chopped romaine lettuce.
Instructions
Heat oil in a large skillet. Add sweet potato, bell pepper, and garlic cooking until lightly browned about 10 minutes. Add seasonings, spinach, and rice stir to well combine about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in pico de gallo. Set aside. Add 1 tortilla into a skillet over medium low with 4 tablespoons of cheese and ¼ of the sweet potato mixture. Cook until cheese is melted about 3-5 minutes. Fold the tortilla in half. Remove from skillet and slice into 3 parts. Serve while hot. Can top salsa, guacamole, sour cream, diced tomatoes and/or chopped lettuce (optional).
Nutritional Information Per Serving: 354 calories, 14 grams protein, 14 grams of fat, 43 grams of CHO, 8 grams dietary fiber, 474 mg sodium.
Preparation Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients
½ tablespoon olive oil
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
1 large red pepper, seeded and diced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
½ teaspoon cumin
¼ teaspoon oregano
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup chopped fresh spinach
½ cup canned black beans, drained
½ cup cooked minute brown rice
½ cup fresh pico de gallo (see recipe below) or salsa of choice
1 cup Mexican-style shredded cheese*
4 8-inch whole wheat tortillas**
*Can replace with reduced-cheese to cut calories
**Use corn tortillas for gluten free
Shopping List
olive oil
1 medium sweet potato
1 large red pepper
minced garlic
cumin
oregano
cayenne pepper
fresh spinach
canned black beans
minute brown rice
pico de gallo
Mexican-style shredded cheese
8-inch whole wheat tortillas
By Barbara Day, M.S., R.D. is a registered dietitian with a Master’s Degree in clinical nutrition. She is the Chief Blog Organizer for www.DayByDayLiving.net
Barbara worked as a research nutritionist with the military’s tri-service medical school & working as a performance nutrition consultant to Navy SEALS’ BUD/S Training Program and West Coast active Navy SEAL Teams. Barbara is the former nutrition performance consultant to the University of Louisville Athletic Department. She is the author of Fast Facts on Fast Food For Fast People and High Energy Eating Sports Nutrition Workbook for Active People used by the University of Louisville, University of Tennessee Lady Vols and the Tennessee football program, the LSU basketball program, the Buffalo Bills, the Cleveland Browns and by the United States Navy SEALs.
The former publisher of Kentuckiana HealthFitness Magazine, Kentuckiana Healthy Woman magazine and radio show host of Health News You Can Use, Barbara has over 50 years of experience in promoting healthy lifestyles to consumers. Barbara is a former runner who walks, a spinner, hiker a mother and grandmother to 13 grandchildren.
