Avocado Quesadillas With Cranberry-Apple Salsa

Serves 3 as a main dish, 6 as an appetizer.

Note: The no-cook salsa just takes a quick spin in the food processor and delivers a tart punch and plenty of crunch. Creamy avocado is as luscious as cheese in the quesadilla, and is a nice change of pace. From Robin Asbell.

Salsa:

• 1 c. fresh cranberries

• 1/2 large Honeycrisp apple, chopped

• 2 tbsp. chopped red onions

• 1 small jalapeño, seeded and chopped

• 1 tbsp. hot sauce

• 2 tbsp. fresh cilantro

• 1/4 tsp. salt

Quesadillas:

• 3 large avocados, mashed

• 2 tsp. fresh lime juice

• 1/2 tsp. salt

• 1 (15-oz.) can black beans, drained and rinsed

• 6 (9-in.) whole-wheat tortillas

Directions

To make the salsa: In a food processor, place the cranberries and pulse a few times to chop finely. Don't purée. Add the apple, red onions, jalapeño and hot sauce, and pulse to mix. Scrape into a bowl and mix in the cilantro and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

To make the quesadillas: If desired, preheat the oven to 200 degrees to hold the finished quesadillas.

In a medium bowl, mash the avocados with lime juice and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Lightly mash the black beans in a bowl, just to break some of them up. Mix them together; you should have about 3 cups.

Spread about 1 cup of the avocado mixture on a tortilla, then top with another tortilla. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and filling.

Heat a large sauté pan or griddle over high heat. When hot, place a quesadilla in the pan and cook for about 1 minute, until browned. Flip the quesadilla with a spatula and cook for about a minute.

Slide the quesadilla out of the pan onto a cutting board and cut it in 6 wedges. Place on an oven-safe plate and keep warm in the oven, if desired. Continue until all the quesadillas are done. Serve immediately, with salsa.

Nutrition information per each of 6 servings:

Calories395Fat16 gSodium920 mgCarbohydrates58 gSaturated fat3 gAdded sugars1 g

Protein11 gCholesterol0 mgDietary fiber16 g

Exchanges per serving: 1 vegetable, ½ fruit, 3 starch, 2 ½ fat.