BLACK BEAN & AVOCADO QUESADILLAS WITH GRILLED SHIITAKE

Start by gathering, measuring, preparing, chopping and slicing all of the ingredients. This will improve your dynamic in the kitchen.

BLACK BEANS

1. Throw all of the ingredients for the beans in a small pan over medium heat and let it come to simmer. They will be ready when the sauce reduces a little and reaches a creamy consistency.

GUACAMOLE

1. Place all of the ingredients for the guacamole in a bowl and mash with a fork. We generally like our guac roughly mashed with a few bigger bits, but you can do as you please.

GRILLED SHIITAKE

1. Heat a non-stick grilling pan on the stove.
2. Salt the shiitake mushrooms to taste and throw them in the pan when it is screaching hot (but not smoking!).
3. Carefully and attentively tumble them in high heat, until they smell and look toasty. This will take only a few minutes, so do not let them burn. Cooking them with no added fat will make them extra smoky and dry.
4. When they are ready, set them in a bowl or plate and season with freshly cracked black pepper.

ASSEMBLING & TOASTING QUESADILLAS

1. Spread guacamole on a wheat tortilla, put ¼ of the shiitake mushrooms on top and pour over a few spoonfuls of the spicy black beans.
2. Place another tortilla on top and allow the assembled quesadilla to toast in a wide pan on medium-high heat for a minute or two, until the tortillas turn golden brown and feel toasty and crunchy.
3. Flip the tortillas over calmly and carefully — there is no cheese keeping everything together!
4. Repeat for all 4.