Garden Guardian Rug

 I started this rug before Christmas, with little detours to side projects, but it is now done.

Last summer, there was a volunteer sunflower in my garden that didn't grow that tall, but had an extremely sturdy thick stem—a couple of inches thick, for sure. Sunflowers generally eventually turn face down because of the weight of the flower and the seeds, but not this one. Even at the end of the season, it faced the sky. It was glorious, and the seeds must have been very tasty, because they were gobbled up quickly.

In my mind, I called this sunflower the Garden Guardian. I don't know why—it just popped into my head, and it felt right. So this is my homage to that sunflower.

Cheesy Pinto Bean Quesadillas

I have to admit that pinto beans are my favourite kind of dried bean.  Whenever a recipe asks for black beans or kidney beans, I substitute pinto beans. I don't mind black beans but when I try to cook them, they never seem to get soft, no matter how many hours I simmer them. Of course, I never buy cans of precooked dried beans because it is so easy to soak and cook them at home. Maybe if I tried the precooked canned black beans, I would change my mind - but probably not. The top picture shows the quesadillas after they are baked.

If you'd like to try your hand at making gluten-free oat flour tortillas, which is what you see in these pictures, you can find the recipe here

 

Spicy Pinto Bean Quesadillas

 

Yield: about 8, depending on size of your soft tortillas

 

Ingredients

·      1 tablespoon olive oil

·      1 onion, chopped

·      1 teaspoon cumin

·      ¼ teaspoon cayenne powder or ¼ teaspoon chipotle powder

·      ¼ teaspoon pepper

·      ½ teaspoon sea salt

·      1 - 19 oz can (or 2 ½ cups) pinto beans, drained

·      ½ cup frozen corn kernels

·      large gluten-free tortillas

·      cheddar cheese, shredded

·      sour cream

 

Method

·      Preheat oven to 425 F, and cover a baking sheet with parchment paper.

·      In a large frying pan—I like cast iron—heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, cayenne, chipotle, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are softened—about 8 minutes.

·      Add pinto beans and corn and cook, stirring frequently, until heated through—about 5 minutes.

·      Place about ½ cup of the bean mixture over half of each tortilla, sprinkle with cheese, and then fold the tortilla in half. If it doesn’t want to stay there, I found that using a wooden toothpick can help hold it in place. Place on prepared baking sheet.

·      Bake in oven until golden, about 10–15 minutes.

·      Serve topped with sour cream.

·      Freeze the bean mixture in sealed containers in whatever portion size you choose.

 

This recipe takes very little time if you already have the tortillas, and it is a filling and satisfying meal. You'll notice that I put cayenne or chipotle powder in the ingredient list. That's because a little goes a long way with these dried peppers, and I found it a little over the top to have both. But you may not agree. I do love the smoky flavour that chipotle (smoked dried jalapeno) powder imparts. Regardless of your choice, having a little chocolate afterwards is a lovely finish, and helps cool the heat.