Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas

It's corn season, and I love corn.

Every time I serve corn on the cob for dinner, I cook up an extra ear or two. There's a million ways to use up leftover corn, but I typically turn it into some kind of salad or vegetable dish.

This time, though, I mixed things up. I wanted fresh summer corn to be the star of our entree. So I stirred it together with some protein-packed black beans, topped it with creamy cheese, and loaded it into a crisp tortilla. These fresh Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas were served up in minutes and devoured even faster.

In case you're interested, here are a few more delicious ways to use up leftover corn:
Therese's Corn & Tomato Salad
California Chopped Salad (With tortilla chips as croutons!)
Quinoa with Corn and Black Beans
Corn and Edamame Summer Salad

Black Bean and Corn Quesadillas
Serves: 2-4 (Depends on how hungry you are.)

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 small onion, chopped finely
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper (to taste)
1 cup corn (This is about 1 ear of corn.)
1 cup black beans
Butter (optional)
2-4 flour tortillas
1/2-1 cup shredded cheddar or Monterey jack cheese
Salsa and sour cream, for serving

Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium. Add onion and saute until softened and translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Stir in garlic, chili powder, salt, and pepper until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add corn and beans and cook for a couple minutes until everything is heated through. Remove filling to a bowl and wipe out skillet.

Add about 1/2 tablespoon of butter to the wiped-clean skillet over medium high heat. (If you want to keep things light, skip the butter.) Place one tortilla in the skillet and top it with a scoop of filling in a half-moon shape. (If you want to make two big quesadillas, use half of the filling in each. If you want thinner quesadillas, use a quarter of the filling in each.) Sprinkle 1/4 cup of cheese on top of the filling and fold over the tortilla so you have a tortilla sandwich of sorts. Cook for 3-4 minutes, until the bottom is golden brown. Carefully flip the tortilla and cook for another 3-4 minutes, until the second side is also golden brown.

Cut quesadilla into wedges and serve with salsa and sour cream.