Easy Avocado and Black Bean Quesadillas

Ingredients

• 2 large or 3 small avocados
• Juice of 1/2 lime
• Pinch of kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 cup red onion, sliced into 1/4-inch half moons
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon coriander
• 1/2 yellow, red, or orange bell pepper, deseeded and chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1 can black beans, drained and rinsed
• 4 8-inch flour tortillas
• 1 cup queso fresco, crumbled or grated
• 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
• Sour cream
• Pico de gallo or salsa

Directions

1. Scoop the avocado into a small bowl and crush it with a fork. Stir in a dash of kosher salt plus the juice from 1/2 lime, stopping when the mixture is mostly smooth yet still a bit chunky, soft enough to spread. Set it aside.
2. Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a cast iron skillet, or another large, sturdy skillet, over medium heat. Add the red onion and sauté, stirring roughly every minute, until it begins to relax and soften, around 3 to 4 minutes. Sprinkle in the salt, cumin, oregano, and coriander, and stir until the onion is evenly seasoned.
3. Add the bell pepper and stir it into the onions. Cook for 3 minutes more, just until the pepper begins to soften. Stir in the lime juice and black beans, mixing everything together, then cook for about 2 minutes to heat the beans.
4. Warm the 2nd tablespoon of olive oil over medium high heat in another skillet or a grill pan. Lay in 1 flour tortilla and warm it for about a minute. Turn it with tongs, then heat the other side the same way, until a couple of bubbles rise in the middle.
5. Build the quesadilla with filling first, avocado next, and cheese on top, using about 1/4 cup of each. If a heavier hand with the cheese sounds right, nobody is stopping you.
6. Fold the tortilla over so the filling is enclosed. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until the outside is crisp and the cheese is melted. Continue with the remaining quesadillas, cooking 2 at once in the same skillet if there is enough room.
7. Cut the quesadillas into triangles. If desired, set out pico de gallo, sour cream, and/or avocado with them. They are at their best right away.