I've always felt at peace when I am near water. Whether it is the river, the lake, the beach or a swimming pool, I love being near water and I love swimming. My favorite thing to do during the summer growing up and during high school was to drive to the nearest river and either tube, jump in from a rope swing, or simply swim. There is nothing like spending a full afternoon in the hot sun and then being able to cool off in the nearest swimming hole, and then finishing the day either grilling outside or with ice cream. Or both.
Kyle wasn't always a beach person, and being the fair skinned redhead that he is, any time spent in hot sun can be consequential. He is most definitely a beach person now, even if he has to wear a shirt the majority of the time so he doesn't get sunburned. What I love about the beach is how it brings out the inner kid in you. We played in the sand, body surfed in the waves, all while smiling big.
Our week in Cancun was absolute bliss. Travel is very important to us and we set aside money for it so we can travel at least once every year. While the past couple of years we have gone to Europe (mostly due to proximity and cheap flights from NYC and because Europe is awesome), the craziness of this transition year made us decide that a relaxing few days on the beach would be just what we needed. It was so so nice to spend that time together and actually read books for once (just finished Into The Water!) and spend all day alternating between being poolside and beachside. The water is so blue there!!
I love Mexico and all the people there. I hope we can go back someday soon in the future! When we got back home I was so ready to get back in the kitchen and eat some homemade food. I made these super simple roasted poblano and black bean quesadillas and we inhaled them! I even made them again the following day. They were so easy and so good. If you don't have poblano peppers near you, you can sub for bell peppers or even add a few jalapeños.
Poblano Black Bean Quesadillas
Ingredients:
- 2 poblano peppers
- 1/2 can of black beans, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 small onion, diced
- 2 cups monterrey jack cheese (or other cheese of choice)
- 6 corn tortillas
- olive oil
- avocado, to serve
- cilantro, to serve
- lime wedges, to serve
Directions: Heat a large cast iron skillet over high heat. Place the poblano peppers in skillet, rotating every few minutes or so until the sides become charred and skin is soft. Alternatively, you can broil in the oven for about 15 minutes, turning every few minutes. (There is a great tutorial here.)
Once peppers are charred put in a plastic bag for a few minutes and allow peppers to steam. This will allow for easy removal of the outside skin.
Peel the skin off either with your fingers (be careful if it is still hot) or by scraping it off with a knife. Cut the tops off and discard the seeds. Chop into bite sized pieces.
Heat a large skillet (preferably the cast iron) over medium high heat and drizzle with a little bit of olive oil. Fill one half of a corn tortilla with a small handful of the roasted poblano peppers, a handful of black beans, chopped onion, and cheese. Fold tortilla in half.
Place on preheated skillet for 2-4 minutes or until cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly browned and crisp. Flip over for another 2 minutes until other side is lightly browned. Repeat with remaining tortillas and filling.
Serve with sliced avocado, lime wedges, and cilantro!
