Refried Bean Quesadillas

In January of 2009, I was told that I was allergic to milk protein. I didn't mind not being able to use milk itself. I never liked it anyway, and rice milk works great in cooking. There's also a great substitute for cream called MimiCreme. I even managed to find a substitute for butter (it's harder than you might think). What I can't really find a substitute for is cheese. There are cheeses that are not cow's milk cheeses, but they often have casein (one of the proteins in milk) in them to make them melt. There are even vegan cheeses with no milk products at all, but they are almost universally soy-based, and I'm allergic to soy as well.

For the most part, I've just avoided recipes that depend on the flavor of cheese, but one night, I was serving tacos for my family, and I just got fed up. I wanted a quesadilla. I wanted a tortilla, cooked to a crisp on the outside, filled with something gooey and salty. So I started thinking about what makes a quesadilla what it is.

I've seen all kinds of recipes for quesadillas. They often have things like chicken, olives, green peppers, salsa and any number of other things. But they always have cheese. That's why it's called quesadilla (queso is Spanish for cheese). The cheese serves two purposes: one is flavor, and the other is binding action. When the cheese melts it forms sort of a web that holds all the other ingredients together, so the quesadilla doesn't fall apart.

I knew from repeated failed experiments that I couldn't recreate the flavor of cheese without nutritional yeast (something I try to avoid), so I figured I would just have to let that purpose go. But I did need to find something that would hold the quesadilla together. The answer was right in front of me: refried beans.

I took a tortilla and slathered half of it with refried beans. I then sprinkled it with some olives, diced tomatoes, and garlic salt. I was just going with what was already on the table. I cooked it up, let it cool, and tried it. It was quite good for a first try. I did notice that the refried beans were a little sticky in my mouth, kind of like peanut butter, but the olives and tomatoes helped that out some. The next time I tried it, I used sliced tomatoes instead of diced tomatoes. That was even better, because it spread moisture more evenly.

Here's the basic recipe:

1 tortilla (any size)
about 3 Tbsp. refried beans
your choice of olives, tomatoes, onions, chicken, taco meat, or anything else you can think of.
garlic salt to taste
2 tsp oil

Spread the refried beans on half of the tortilla. The actual amount you use will vary depending on the size of your tortilla and what other toppings you use. You want enough beans to hold it all together. Sprinkle with garlic salt if desired. Sprinkle or spread your other toppings on top of the beans. Fold the tortilla over to create a half-moon shape. Heat 1 tsp oil in a frying pan over medium to medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add the quesadilla and cook until underside is golden brown. Remove from pan and add the other teaspoon of oil. Return the quesadilla to the pan, cooked side up, and cook until the other side is brown and the inside is warmed through. Use a pizza cutter or knife to cut the quesadilla into wedges for easier eating.

A word of warning: do not expect this to taste cheesy in the least. If you expect something more like a bean burrito, you will be much happier with it. I had one of these for lunch almost every day for more than a week after I discovered it, and it was different every day.

As always, make any adjustments you need to in order to make this fit your tastes or dietary restrictions. If you are trying to lower fat, just use a good non-stick skillet and you can leave the oil out completely or use non-stick cooking spray. Celiacs can use a corn tortilla. The variations on this idea are endless.

Most importantly, enjoy the creative process and enjoy your food!