Pumpkin, Black Bean and Caramelised Red Onion Quesadillas

This Tex-Mex classic gets reinvented with you guessed it, leftover pumpkin. A perfect Halloween dish that is filling and delicious as a Halloween dinner to enjoy with the family. They are fun to make—everyone can get involved.

Serves [4]

Ingredients

2 red onions, finely sliced
300 grams pumpkin strings and flesh
Pinch ground ginger
Pinch cinnamon
250 millilitres veg stock
3 cloves garlic, chopped
½ - 1 fresh green chilli, finely chopped (optional)
2 X 400 grams tins black beans, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt (optional)
Handful fresh coriander, chopped
½ lime 150 grams mature cheese (or vegan cheese), grated (optional)
8 wholewheat flour tortillas

Method

First, start by making your caramelised onions. Heat a drizzle of olive oil into a frying pan, then add the finely sliced onions and a pinch of sea salt and cook on a low heat, stirring occasionally to avoid the onions taking on too much colour.
When the onions are soft and silky (this should take about 8 -10 minutes) transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.
Next, add a bit more oil to the pan, before adding the pumpkin, ginger, cinnamon, a pinch of sea salt and 200 millilitres of veg stock. Simmer on a medium heat until the pumpkin is soft. Allow the edges to catch a bit and caramelise. Transfer to a bowl and blend using a stick blender until smooth. Wipe down the frying pan and set it aside.
While the pumpkin cooks, make the black beans. Cook the garlic and chilli in a bit of oil for 2-3 minutes. Add the beans, coriander, cumin and remaining stock. Simmer on a low heat until the beans go creamy and begin to break apart. Stir through a few pinches of smokes salt, chopped coriander and few squeezes of lime juice.
Next, brush one side of the tortillas with butter or olive oil. Heat the frying pan and add the tortilla. Layer on the pumpkin, beans, cheese and onions before adding on a second tortilla (ensuring that the oiled side is facing up).Press down to flatten, allowing the side facing the pan to lightly crisp before flipping using a spatula. Cook for 2 minutess allowing the second side to crisp and the cheese to melt. Transfer the cooked quesadilla to a plate or tray and continue to cook the rest.