Beautiful BBQ Butternut Quesadillas

Up until this point, a lot of my blog posts have been recipes for Asian inspired food, simply because I love the various flavours and flavour combinations you can play around with in curries, dals, stir-fries and noodle dishes. Although I looooove a variety of Asian food, I think it's always good to try dishes from different origins throughout the week simply so you don't get bored!

Now, I always say that I love South American - specifically Mexican - style food. Tacos, enchiladas, fajitas - whatever it is, I'll have it. However, we all know that I can't handle heat, so often when I make these types of meals I try to substitute any sort of spicy chilli with another bold flavour so the dish isn't bland. In the case of these beautiful butternut squash quesadillas, this flavour is BBQ. Although it's quite a common flavouring for chicken and pulled pork here in the UK, I think it works surprisingly well with butternut squash. Before coming across this recipe I would never have thought to pair the two together, but we all love a nice yummy surprise don't we!

This dish was super filling, packed with flavour and is relatively good for you! Check out the clip on my YouTube channel below for a step-by-step summary, and keep on reading for the full ingredient list and method.

Ingredients:

• Half a small butternut squash (you'll need a strong peeler and a sturdy knife for this!)

• One avocado

• Two spring onions

• One lovely lime

• One tablespoon of coconut oil

• One garlic clove

• 120 grams of black beans

• Two tablespoons of BBQ seasoning

• Two tortillas - I prefer wholewheat but white will work just as well

• Roughly 30 grams of cheddar cheese

• A drizzle of sweet BBQ sauce

• Salt & pepper

Method:

1. Start off by peeling your half butternut squash - as I mentioned above you'll need a strong peeler for this as the skin is super tough - then chop it into small chunks

2. Place these chunks into a microwaveable bowl, add three tablespoons of water, cover with cling film and microwave for eight minutes

3. Meanwhile, slice your spring onions and pop to the side for a second

4. Then chop the garlic clove into small chunks and leave this with the spring onions

5. Grab your avocado, peel and slice it, chop it into small chunks and throw it in a bowl

6. Add half the spring onion and juice of half the lime to the avocado, season with salt & pepper and mix everything together well, mashing slightly. Put this to the side for later

7. Melt your coconut oil in a frying pan over a high heat, then add the rest of the spring onions and the chopped garlic and leave to sizzle for three minutes

8. Chuck in your beans (drained of course!) and BBQ seasoning, mix well, then leave to fry over a medium heat for about five minutes

9. Once fried tip this mix into a large mixing bowl and add the cooked butternut squash - be careful, it'll be hot!

10. Mix everything in the bowl together, ensuring to mash the squash well, then season with the other half of the lime juice and some salt & pepper

11. Next, grab one of your tortillas, press into the same pan as before and scoop your squash mixture on top

12. Sprinkle your cheese on top, drizzle with a little BBQ sauce then press the other tortilla on top

13. Fry on a medium heat for about three minutes, then flip into another lightly oiled frying pan (or onto a plate then back into the same pan) and cook for three more minutes

14. Flip your quesadilla onto a plate, cut into quarters, pile on top of one another then drizzle some more sweet BBQ sauce over the top

15. Pop the guacamole on the side of your plate or in a small serving bowl and tuck in!

As I said above, this meal was very very filling. I made one quesadilla to split between two, and that alongside the refreshing guacamole left us feeling positively stuffed! I think it's perfect for a summer's day - just picture a sunny afternoon in the garden with your friends all around you, tucking in to these beautiful, sweet and tangy quesadillas...mmmmm! You don't have to cut the quesadilla into quarters either; they could be cut into eighths for smaller snacky portions and served as a side dish. Plus, although it seems like a longer recipe it actually only took me about half an hour to cook everything and serve it up, so it's also the perfect dish for when you're in a rush.

I've mentioned before that I'm not strictly vegetarian and that I just try to keep my meat consumption relatively low. Most of the time I'm fine, but sometimes I find myself missing meat with certain dishes. Well let me tell you that's certainly not the case with these BBQ quesadillas. I actually think they work better with butternut squash than they would with chicken or pulled pork and not just because the squash absorbs the tang of the BBQ sauce better (in my opinion), but because it allows for a welcome structural strength too. I know this sounds silly, but I loved being able to pick up the quesadilla and all the filling actually stay inside it as I ate! I hate getting messy when I'm eating, so that was a big plus for me.

Now we're firmly in the midst of summer, why not try something a little different and give these BBQ butternut quesadillas a try? Take them on a picnic, pack them for your lunch or simply scoff them down for dinner - they're super versatile as well as scrumptious! Are you going to be trying these out? Let me know in the comments!