One of the things I really like about eating vegan is how fresh and summery it feels. It's especially nice now that we've (finally) been having some nice weather. So I went a little bold with this one and put some pineapple (and some other things) on a tostada, just for the fun of it.
Tasty Tostadas
(Serves 4-6)
- 1 1/2 cups black beans or Cuban Black Beans, drained and warmed
- 1 1/2 cups brown rice
- Lettuce, shredded
- Tomatoes, diced
- Pineapple, diced
- Mango, diced
- Red onion, diced small (not pictured because I forgot until after the picture was taken)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Corn tortillas
- Olive oil
First: make your tostadas. Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add about 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Wait 3-4 minutes until your oil is very hot. Place a tortilla in the oil and allow it to bubble up. Flip the tortilla onto its other side. Previously, when we made the
tacos, we put the tortilla in the oil for just a few seconds to soften it up. But for a tostada, you want to allow it to crisp up and brown slightly. Once one side is slightly browned, turn it back over so it can get crispy on the other side. Remove from pan, allowing excess oil to drip off. Continue with the rest of the tortillas, adding oil as necessary.
Once your tortillas have cooled, assemble the tostadas: begin with a layer of rice, then black beans. Top as desired with lettuce, tomatoes, pineapple, mango and red onion. Sprinkle a little salt and pepper on there for flavor. And enjoy!
But be wary: the pineapple is not for the faint of heart. If you're not quite bold enough to try the pineapple, just mango will suffice quite nicely.
I'm thinking that next time I want to make something similar to this... only in a pita! And with a honey mustard sauce. Yep... that's going to happen. Stay tuned.
