Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

I have had a hard time coming up with savoury recipes that don't include hummus or chickpeas in some form (some people smoke, others abuse chickpea dips, what can I say) but then these utterly delicious and chickpea-free quesadillas came to me in a flash of inspiration. A Pinterest flash that is- always my runner-up source of vegspiration. (Instagram comes first!) They're filled with sweet, spicy, savoury amazingness and topped with a goddamn gorgeous green guacamole. Add the simplicity and I know that this will nick a place as one of my top ten lunch recipes.

Make these for yourself, double the recipe and share with a friend or multiply the ingredients by ten and serve it on the buffet table! You could even prepare these the day before (without grilling them of course) and have them for lunch the next day at work or school! They're best eaten warm so a microwave oven would be a plus but they could absolutely be served cold as well, no problemo.

Hope you enjoy this recipe just as much as I did!

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Quesadillas

Yields: 1 serving

- 1 gluten free brown rice tortilla (or tortilla of your choice, I use BFree wraps)

- 1 small sweet potato (approx. 100 g when peeled)

- 4 tbsp canned black beans, drained and rinsed

- 2 tbsp tomato salsa/sauce

- 1 tbsp vegan sour cream (optional)

- A handful baby spinach leaves

A pinch each of: 

- dried coriander

- cumin

- paprika powder 

- salt

Guacamole:

- 1/2 avocado

- 1/2 tbsp nutritional yeast

- 1 tsp lemon juice

- Salt and pepper to taste

- Dried chili flakes (optional)

How to:

1. Start by making your guacamole: Place all ingredients into a small bowl and blitz with a hand blender a few times. Intuitively, the longer you blend the smoother your guac will be so stop when you've reached the desired consistency. Set aside while you prepare the quesadillas.

2. Peel and slice the sweet potato thinly, then steam or boil the slices until they're soft enough to pierce with a fork. This will take approximately 5-10 minutes.

3. Mash the steamed sweet potato with a fork and spread it out evenly on half of the tortilla.

4. On the layer of sweet potato, divide the black beans evenly and sprinkle with cumin, coriander, salt and paprika powder.

5. Cover the other half of the tortilla with a layer of vegan sour cream mixed with tomato salsa and stick a handful of baby spinach leaves to it. 

6. Fold the tortilla in half and cut in 4 "pizza slices".

7. Grill in a grill pan (or a regular but then it won't be as beautifully charred) for a couple of minutes on each side, top with guacamole and serve!

My Basic Hummus Recipe + Oven-roasted Squash

Happy birthday to me! Or happy belated to be correct, my 18th was this Monday. Yay! I can now... uh, buy beer, vote and (in the best of worlds) get my driver's license. Fun! But what's got me really excited is my birthday presents. Can you tell from the picture below what I got?

You guessed it: CHICKPEAS! My wonderful parents gave me a whole truckload of these gu... Wait a second. I'm just kidding. No offence chickpeas but you don't really make the best birthday presents. Okay so if you still haven't figured it out, I got a camera. A Canon EOS 700D that I know absolutely nothing about and have no idea how to use but still - a camera! C-A-M-E-R-A. Meaning this blog won't be nearly as boring from now on. So onto today's recipe:

There are many things that I've learnt to love since going vegan. Bananas, avocados, bell peppers, tofu bur first and foremost I've come to appreciate the beauty that is a perfectly creamy hummus. Everyone who's been following me on Instagram for a while probably knows that I've got a real sweet tooth and rarely choose savoury food if there is any kind of fruit around. With one exception. Hummus. A thick layer spread on a rice cake and my day is made. Hopefully you all like this recipe as well!

My Basic Hummus Recipe

Yields: 1-2 servings

2/3 cup cooked chickpeas

1 tbsp almond milk (Or olive oil if you want an even creamier texture)

1 tbsp nutritional yeast

1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Salt to taste

Optional: 1/2 tsp Paprika powder 

Blend well!

How to:
1. Place chickpeas in a colander in the sink and rinse to get rid of any excess sliminess from the can.
2. Blend all ingredients in a small bowl using a hand blender. Food processors are not recommended for this recipe.
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds or drizzle with olive oil. Serve as a condiment to falafels, pita bread dishes, salads or maybe the roasted squash below!

Oven-roasted Herb-rubbed Winter Squash

Yields: 2 servings

1/2 small muscat pumpkin or winter squash of your choice

1 zucchini

1 tbsp olive oil

Herbs such as rosemary, thyme and oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

How to:
1. Pre-heat oven to 225C.
2. Cut your squash into halves and scoop out the seeds and the slimy, stringy things surrounding them. Save the other half of your squash in the fridge, unless you want bigger servings, then go ahead and use both halves.
3. Slice the squash about 1/2-inch thick for each slice and put aside.
4. Cut the zucchini lengthwise and slice in 1/2-inch thick slices.
5. Place the vegetables on a lined baking tray and rub with first olive oil then herbs. Spread out evenly on the tray and rosy in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until the squash is soft enough to pierce with a fork.