GUILT-FREE TOSTADA

By Weird & Ravenous • September 20, 2012 • 0 Comments

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Author Notes: This tostada can easily transform into a salad: simply top a big heap of shredded lettuce with the beans and sliced avocado, use the Homemade Salsa Verde as a salad dressing along with a drizzle of the vegan “crema” and garnish with the pickled jalapeños and scallions. Additionally, toasted corn tortillas can be chopped up and used as gluten-free “croutons.” Also, the salsa verde makes more than you’ll need for the tostadas but we always make a bit extra because it keeps well for a week in the refrigerator and we love it on eggs, as a salad dressing, etc. - Weird & Ravenous

Serves 4

The Tostada

1 14-ounce can of pinto beans
6 cilantro stems
1 garlic clove, crushed
Coarse salt
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
8 gluten-free, corn tortillas
1 head of romaine lettuce, finely shredded
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
1 cup Homemade Salsa Verde (see below)
pickled jalapeños (as many as you’d like)
3 scallions, white and light green parts only, finely sliced
3 tablespoons Veganaise
1 teaspoon Cholula (more or less to taste)

The beans come first. Combine the pinto beans (liquid and all) in a small saucepan with the cilantro stems, garlic clove and a healthy pinch of salt. Set the pot over high heat, bring to a boil, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Fish out the cilantro stems and the garlic clove. Done and done!
In a small bowl, whisk together the Veganaise, lime juice and a few drops of Cholula and set aside.
Warm the tortillas and place two tortillas each on four dinner plates.
Evenly divide the beans between the tortillas and then evenly divide the lettuce and avocado on top of each tostada. Drizzle 2 tablespoons of Homemade Salsa Verde over each tostada and then drizzle a tablespoon of the Veganaise mixture over each tostada. Top each tostada with a few pickled jalapeños and then sprinkle over the scallions. Serve immediately.

Homemade Salsa Verde

6 tomatillos, cored and roughly chopped
1 white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
1 jalapeño, seeded and roughly chopped (or leave the seeds in if you’re a hot head and make it 2 jalapeños if you’re a super hot head)
2 tablespoons tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
coarse salt
½ cups cup fresh cilantro leaves
¼ cups fresh lime juice

Preheat your oven to 475ºF.
Combine the tomatillos, onion and jalapeño on a parchment-lined baking sheet and toss with the olive oil to evenly coat. Sprinkle the vegetables with a healthy pinch of salt and roast until soft and browned, about 20 minutes.
Remove the vegetables from the oven and allow them to cool slightly before transferring them to a blender. Add the cilantro and lime juice to the blender and puree the mixture until just combined (we don’t like it to be too smooth, a little texture is nice here). Season the salsa to taste with salt.