Chipotle Bean Tostadas Beans:

[Guest guest]

Chipotle Bean Tostadas

 

Beans:

2 tbsps. olive oil or grapeseed oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

about 4 cups of cooked pinto beans, drainedm either freshly made or 2 15 oz.

cans

4 teaspoons chipotle Tabasco sauce

Salt

 

Tostadas:

1/2 cup high flash-point vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil, or

canola oil

1 dozen corn tortillas

salt

1 cup of crumbled Cotija Queso Seco (Mexican farmers cheese) or you can use feta

cheese

1 cup finely diced fresh tomato

1/2 cup thinly sliced red radishes

1/2 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves

 

Optional:

iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced and sprinkled with vinegar and salt

guacamole

sour cream

 

Prepare the beans by sautéing onions in oil until softened in a large,

thick-bottomed skillet. Add ground cumin and cook an additional 30 seconds. Add

the beans, a teaspoon of salt, and a cup of water. Use a potato masher to mash

the beans into the pan, until the consistency of (somewhat lumpy) mashed

potatoes. Cook for a few minutes on medium hight heat until water is absorbed.

Stir in the Chipotle Tabasco sauce and season to taste with more salt if needed.

Remove to a warm burner out of the way, cover.

To prepare the tortillas, heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking pan with

paper towels and place next to the stove. Heat 5 tbsps. of oil in a small

skillet on medium high heat, until the bubbles form immediately when you insert

the edge of a tortilla in it. Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil and

let cook until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds per side. You can

use a metal spatula to flatten down

the tortilla while cooking.

Use tongs to lift the cooked tortilla out of the pan, allowing the excess oil to

drip off of it, back into the pan. Place the cooked tortilla on the paper towels

to absorb more of the oil. Sprinkle a little salt onto each warm tortilla. Do

each tortilla one at a time this way. As you fill up a baking pan, put the pan

in the oven to keep the tortillas warm.

Add more oil as needed. Carefully monitor the oil temperature. Don't let it get

too hot, or the tortillas will burn, or too cool, they won't fry up crisp

enough.

To serve, arrange the cheese, cilantro and tomatoes in separate small bowls. Put

beans into a serving dish. Bring out the tortillas by batches, keeping the rest

warm in the oven. Let people spread beans on to their tortillas and add sprinkle

on the cheese, cilantro and tomatoes for each tostada. Optional additions are

sliced lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa (though with the chipotle, you

probably

don't need any more heat). Serves 4.