CHICKEN, BLACK BEAN & GOAT'S CHEESE QUESADILLA

Saturday Dinner

(these amounts are for dinner for my family of 7, who eat 2-5 of these each, so smaller families can probably cut the quantities by 1/2.)

boil and shred 4 chicken breasts (many companies marinate them or inject them with corn starch or syrup, we only buy organic)

for a *vegan* version, grating 1 lg zucchini and laying the shreds over the beans instead of the chicken makes for some fabulous quesadillas, too !

heat 2 skillets to about medium heat w/ thin layer of olive oil while prepping the following ingredients:

grate 1 block 'mt. sterling' unpasteurized raw goat's milk mild cheddar cheese (available at whole foods stores) (note: there is a high correlation (80% +!) b/t cow's milk allergy/intolerance and goat's milk allergy/intolerance - i eat just enough to add some flavor to my quesadilla, but my severely dairy intolerant baby reacted to it when he ate it directly. update: my son began reacting to it even through my milk when i ate tiny amounts, so we've since had to cut it out completely. i now use thinly sliced avocado for that creamy taste and shredded zucchini for that shreddy, chewy texture!)

simmer 2 large cans 'full circle' organic black beans available at most grocery stores

1 jar 'frontera' or 'xotchitl' tomatillo salsa (check labels carefully if you can't find these 2(whole foods carries these brands), it's almost impossible to find salsa w/out corn as citric acid, ascorbic acid or xanthan gum.)

4 pkgs 'food for life' brand brown rice tortillas - available at whole foods. (note: these tortillas do contain xanthan gum as an ingredient. while my baby is extremely allergic and sensitive to corn he does not react at all to eating these tortillas. here is wikipedia info on how corn contributes to making xanthan gum, so if you have corn allergy as well, you can decide if you want to try these tortillas: Since xanthan gum is sometimes produced by a bacterium that is fed corn to grow, some people allergic to corn may also react to it. Yellow Phrygian Husk is a common source of the bacterium from which xanthan gum is created.^[7] However, some xanthan gum is not corn-derived. if i didn't know how my baby would do w/ these, i would contact the company directly before feeding them to him and ask if their xanthan gum is corn-derived or not - i have been assuming it is not, as my baby is fine w/ it in this product but not in others, but i've never confirmed it).

lay tortillas in pans and flip so both sides soften and begin to have air bubbles. place shredded chicken on 1/2 of each circle, then black beans, then sparse sprinkling of goat's cheese, then salsa. fold top half on top of the food. continue to heat until cheese melts and bottom side is crispy, then flip onto top side. if you like them softer/chewier, flip sooner. i like to use a pizza cutter to slice them into finger-like slices. these are best served and eaten right out of the pan, so if you're cooking for a larger group, you might find it best to eat yours 1st and then remain at the stove until everyone has had enough.

serve with sliced avocados on the side ! my family loves these so much each child eats 3-4, the baby even eats 2 and hubby can eat 5 ! therefore, i never cook any side dishes with them. this is perfect comfort food - it's crispy, a little greasy, crunchy, chewy, cheesy ... but even after you overeat, you never feel bloaty or gassy or uncomfortable. (these can also be rolled into taquito shapes for more convenience in bringing along when the family wants to eat out !)