Does this rhyme ring any bells?
Beans, beans, the magic fruit,
The more you eat, the more you toot.
(Is there more to it? I seem to think there was a second verse. Hmm.)
Despite the inevitable fallout, I like black beans. My husband likes black beans. My children? They do not like black beans. A bean will never cross their lips, even by accident. Correction: Sarah eats green beans, raw peas, and edamame. Both girls eat chickpeas. That must count for something.
But generally, beans with their beany little shapes and pasty little interiors (i.e kidney, red beans, brown beans, black beans etc.) are a FULL STOP no-go. It has been this way since they were tiny. Trust me. I tried to get them to like beans.
The experts say you should keep offering foods to kids even though they don’t like them. I used to roll my eyes at this advice. It’s just so much effort. And I doubted it could work. After all, if someone kept serving me liver and onions over and over again would I learn to like them? NO. That being said, there have been a couple of recipes I’ve been making over and over again in the hopes that someday they would eat them. One of these is a ginger chicken dish. The reason I didn’t give up on this one is because there is nothing remotely offensive about it and I couldn’t accept that fact that both girls didn’t like it. (Maybe I’ll write that recipe up next.)
I was hoping this was going to be the case with this one I found for Black Bean Quesadillas.
Personally I thought it was very good. Mark liked it to. But the kids tried one tiny molecule and pronounced it to be a “no thank you.”
You win some, you lose some, right? But if your family likes black beans I encourage you to try this one out. It’s very easy.
Black Bean Quesadillas
2 tsp canola oil
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet pepper, diced (red, yellow, or orange)
1 tbsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp each S & P
1 can (19 oz) black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup salsa
1/2 cup corn kernels
4 large tortillas
2 cups grated Cheddar cheese (I’m thinking Monterey Jack could be good too)
1/2 cup sour cream
pickled jalapeno peppers (optional)
- In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, pepper, chili powder, cumin, s&p, until softened, about 8 minutes.
- Add black beans, salsa, corn; cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Spoon an even layer of bean mixture over half of each tortilla and sprinkle with cheese. Fold uncovered half over top and press lightly. (Note, if you go too close to the edge you risk some spillage during cookin’/flippin’ time.)
- Place on large rimmed baking sheet; bake in 425F oven, turning once, until golden, 10 – 15 minutes.
- Serve with sour cream and/or jalapenos, if using.
You can also save yourself some time by making the mixture the day before, and just doing the last three steps when you’re ready to make dinner. It makes a LOT of bean mix. I had some for lunch the next day and there’s still some leftover.
