Black Bean & Corn Quesadillas

CHIP Approved Recipe

This recipe features soy cheese. Substitute soy cheese for regular cheese as a simple way to reduce your cholesterol. Soy cheese, which is made from soy beans, contains no saturated fat compared to almost 5 grams of saturated fat per serving of regular dairy cheese.

Makes 2 large quesadillas.

One 15 ounce can black beans (no added salt)
One 15 ounce can corn (no added salt) or 15 ounces frozen corn, thawed
One 4 ounce can jalapenos, diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup shredded soy cheese
6 whole wheat tortillas
1 tablespoon olive oil
Chili powder, to taste
Two tablespoons chopped cilantro
One tablespoon lime juice
Fresh salsa (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Drain and rinse beans, corn and jalapenos.
3. Sauté minced garlic until it begins to brown. Add beans, corn and jalapenos and heat about 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and lime juice. Remove from heat.
4. Brush bottom of one tortilla with olive oil to prevent sticking to baking sheet. Top with one large spoonful of bean and corn mixture and about one-fourth of shredded cheese.
5. Layer with another tortilla, corn and bean mixture, and then cheese.
6. Top with final tortilla. Brush with olive oil and dust with chili powder. Make second quesadilla using same steps.
7. Place a baking sheet and heat in oven for 10 minutes or until tortillas begin to brown.
8. Allow to cool, then cut into triangular pieces.  Serve with fresh salsa. 

Serving size: One-fourth of a quesadilla

Nutrition information per serving: 220 calories, 4.5 gm fat, 0 saturated fat, 11 gm protein, 43 gm carbohydrate, 7 gm fiber, 210 mg sodium

About the Coronary Health Improvement Project (CHIP)
This is a CHIP Approved recipe. CHIP recipes are low in saturated fat, low in sodium, high in fiber and emphasize fruits, vegetables and whole grains. CHIP is a nationally recognized, education-based lifestyle change program with more than 50,000 graduates worldwide. It is offered in the Peoria area through the Peoria Area Labor Management Council (PALM) and Methodist Medical Center of Illinois. The CHIP program focuses on reducing coronary and other health risk factors by eating smarter, exercising regularly, not smoking and embracing other positive lifestyle and attitude changes. The next CHIP Program begins Feb. 2, 2006, and additional programs will be scheduled throughout the year. For more information about CHIP, including a list of CHIP Approved Restaurants, visit the Peoria CHIP Web site at www.palmpeoria.org/CHIP or call 495-5991.