I love beans. You can make funny comments all you like about what beans are good for…but they really are good for you. And as a source of protein, they are very healthy…and extremely inexpensive. And my whole family loves them. So when Goya asked me to check out their new cookbook and especially their new recipe for Black Bean Quesadillas, of course I said YES! And guess what…they want to give you a copy of their MyPlate Cookbook, as well as some black beans and olive oil so you can try this recipe out!

The Goya MyPlate Cookbook is a bilingual cookbook that includes 30 quick and easy recipes. Every mom knows that fast recipes are the way to go when you have a clingy toddler (or two, like I do) ready to eat NOW. But more important than the speed the meal can be cooked is the fact that these recipes are healthy. Goya teamed up with the USDA and the First Lady’s Let's Move program to develop healthy recipes and to educate what a balanced meal looks like…with a visual image. I love this cookbook—it has images for each recipe and incorporates low sodium and organic ingredients! These black bean quesadillas incorporate vegetables, dairy, grains, and protein—talk about a balanced meal! We wrapped up our meal with some fruit and were very full. This is a perfect quick meal for Cinco de Mayo--which is tomorrow--but we eat quesadillas throughout the year as a quick an easy meal.

Now, if you know me, I can’t leave a good recipe alone. So I tweaked this recipe slightly to make it a fave for my family and the produce we had on hand. We are not the biggest fans of cilantro, so we left it out. I added a little bit of cumin, and since we had some avocados on hand, I added them into the mix! The great thing about quesadillas is that you can add all kinds of veggies into the mix, so if you have others, feel free to add them…I think I want to try bell peppers next!

Black Bean Quesadillas (adapted from the Goya MyPlate Cookbook)

Ingredients:
3/4 cup Goya Pico de Gallo, drained
1 can (15.5 oz) Goya Low Sodium Black Beans, drained & rinsed
1/2 cup shredded reduced fat Mexican blend cheese
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped (this is optional, and we didn't use it this time)
1 avocado, diced
1/4 tsp cumin
8 small (6 inch diameter) flour tortillas
1/2 tsp Goya Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Mix together pico de gallo, beans,cheese,cilantro, avocado, and cumin . Spread mixture on half the tortillas (about 1/2 cup each). Top with remaining tortillas. Heat griddle with oil over medium-high heat. Place filled tortillas on griddle.


Cook, flipping once (careful, don't dump the filling), until golden brown and cheese melted, about 5 minutes. Cut into wedges (I find that kitchen shears works the best). Makes 4 servings.

We loved these quesadillas...even my oldest, who typically doesn't want her tortillas cooked. And if you  have a family member who doesn’t like the texture of the beans, puree them (with a little reserved juice from the can). It makes it smoother—and texture is usually the issue with beans.

Now, who wants to win this cookbook, Goya Organic Low Sodium Black Beans and Goya Olive Oil? Check out this Rafflecopter giveaway to enter!

And if you want to find out more about Goya, check them out on their website. There are a lot more recipes there! And for more information and ideas on how to use their products, check them out on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.

Good luck!