Monday: Mommy Menu ~ Black Beans, Quesadillas & Fresh Salsa

Our Monday Mommy Menu today is quick and easy Mexican gourmet! You will need to have some fairly specific ingredients to make this meal. Shopping list: tortillas, black beans (canned or dry), cheese (soy or real Monterrey jack or cheddar, etc.), cilantro, cayenne pepper, tomatoes, limes, lemons, rice, garlic, onions, and a few basic spices that are likely to be found already in your pantry. Here's an idea for dinner tonight . . . Black beans with cilantro rice, quesadillas, and fresh salsa with sour cream. We'll start with the fresh salsa!
Garden Fresh Salsa:
4 fresh, juicy red tomatoes (or you can use 2 fresh, and 1 can of chopped tomatoes, drained)
1 garlic clove, grated (use a lemon zester-type of grater to create finely grated garlic)
1/4 of a large onion
1 large handful of cilantro
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper (add more if you like it really hot and spicy)
1 lemon, juiced
2 TB olive oil
1 tsp. salt
Whiz all together in a food processor. Cut 4 tomatoes into quarters, and place in a food processor.

Grab a generous handful of cilantro, and add it to the food processor. Set a handful of the cilantro aside to be added to the rice.

Cilantro Rice

Begin by cooking the rice. Use 1 cup of uncooked rice, and add 1 tsp. of salt and 2 cups of water to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium, and then finally to medium-low. Watch the pot once it starts to boil, because rice can boil over very quickly! Cook for about 10 minutes, or until it looks fluffy and the liquid has been absorbed.

To add flavor to the rice, I like to add a large handful of cilantro, chopped. Plus, the juice from 1 lime, and a dash of salt.

Black Beans

You can make the black beans from 2 cans of black beans, or you can cook 1 package of dry black beans. I like to cook black beans from scratch. Just soak 1 small package of black beans over night. In the morning, rinse them really well, and place the beans in a slow cooker. Cover them with water, about 1 inch over the level of the beans. Add 1 tsp. of salt and 1 chopped onion. Cook them on high for 6-8 hours. Check to be sure they are really soft, and leave cooking on high longer if needed. After they reach your desired softness, you can leave them on low in the slow cooker until you are ready to serve them. To use the beans later, just reheat them in a small pot. If you decide to use canned black beans, just open two cans and rinse them really well! Chop and saute 1 onion in olive oil, then add the beans. You can add about a 1/2 cup of water to them, or one can of chopped tomatoes to provide some liquid for them to cook in.

Making plain quesadillas to serve as a side with this meal is super simple. Heat a large, flat skillet on medium. Place a generous amount of cheese of your choice (soy or real Monterrey jack or cheddar, etc.) onto a tortilla, and cover it with another tortilla. Place in a dry skillet and use a small, empty pot to weigh the top tortilla down against the bottom one. Allow the quesadilla to heat and brown for about 2 minutes, turn and brown the other side for 2 minutes or less. As the skillet gets hotter, you might need to reduce the browning time. Cut the quesadillas into wedges for serving. Place some sour cream in a small bowl and then add two or three table spoons of the Garden Fresh Salsa! This combination is great as a dip for the quesadillas!