Black Bean Tostada (Gluten-free)

There isn’t anything better than a crispy tortilla, chip, or cracker as far as my son is concerned.  So, instead of fighting his crispy obsession I’ve decided to start working with him in this area.  Hence tonight’s Black Bean Tostada creation.

This recipe took me exactly 30 minutes to make.  I’m not kidding.  At 4pm I had no idea what I was doing with my life, let alone dinner.  I decided to cook up a pot of black beans while I thought of something new and exciting.

Hmmmm, a trip to Australia sounds new and exciting…

I guess I got sidetracked by daydreams of Sydney because it was 5pm in the blink of an eye and Kula Baby was HUNGRY.  Cue the frantic food chopping.

We ate at 5:30pm.

Full disclosure: The kitchen was a disaster.  When I’m forced to cook a meal in under 30 minutes I retaliate by creating a food and dish crime scene.

However, this recipe does NOT have to be a mess maker unless you react like me when faced with a dinner deadline.   Better yet, everyone in the family gets to choose their own toppings too because I’m all for individuality in the kitchen as long as your individuality doesn’t involve asking for cookies with every meal.

These Black Bean Tostadas hold a few nutrition secrets as well.  1) I cooked the beans with a 1/2 piece of kombu seaweed to add trace minerals to my recipe.  Don’t worry, you can’t taste it but your brain gets bigger with every bite, I swear.  2) I blended half of the black beans with brown rice to form a complete protein, because why eat the beans if you aren’t getting the full protein package??  Well, if you’re my husband you’ll just add turkey lunch meat anyway to spite my vegetarian attempts.  Nice.

Black Bean Tostada

Organic corn tortillas

2 cups of cooked black beans (see directions for info about cooking black beans).  Yes, yes…you can use canned beans if you MUST.   Reserve the cooking liquid if you cook your own.

1 cup cooked brown rice

2 small zucchini, shredded in food processor (you could also chop finely if you want)

1/2 onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/4 teaspoon all spice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 avocado, sliced

Cilantro

Organic feta cheese

Hot sauce or salsa for topping

Oil for cooking (we used coconut oil)

Directions:

To cook beans:

First soak overnight if possible (this helps you digest them).  Bring soaked beans to a boil and cook about 45 minutes to an hour.  Cook with a 1/2 strip of kombu seaweed (found in any health food store) and 1/2 a whole onion (for flavor).  Add 1/4 teaspoon salt at the very end of your cook time.

For tostadas:

Heat oil in a deep pan and lightly fry (yes, fry) the corn tortillas.  Pat dry with paper towels and sprinkle with a little salt.  Keep warm in oven until you are ready to build your tostada.

In a frying pan, saute onion and garlic in a bit of oil until soft.  Add shredded zucchini and cook on medium heat for a few minutes (maybe 3 or 4).  You don’t need to cook the zucchini long because it is shredded and it cooks fast. Sprinkle with salt and garlic powder.  Turn off heat and cover to keep warm.

Blend 1 cups of black beans, 1 cup of brown rice and spices in a blender or food processor until you have a chunky paste.  Add a little of the reserved cooking broth or some veggie broth of your own if the mixture needs liquid.  Place bean mixture in a bowl and stir in the remaining cup of whole black beans.  Set aside or put on stove to keep warm.

Putting it all together:

Start with a tortilla as your base.

Spread bean mixture on top.

Cut into 4 pieces if you have a toddler (or anyone needing extra assistance)

Decorate each piece with zucchini, avocado, feta cheese, cilantro and salsa.

Eat.

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