Tostadas With Smashed Black Beans Or Vaqueros Recipes

TOSTADAS WITH SMASHED BLACK BEANS OR VAQUEROS

Steps:

• Heat oil over medium heat in a large, heavy pan (I use a heavy nonstick pan for this) and add cumin. When it is sizzling, add beans with their liquid and turn up heat to medium-high. Cook beans, mashing with the back of your spoon and stirring often, until they are thick but still fairly moist, about 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Every so often a layer of thick broth should begin to stick to the pan. Stir that into the beans - it has a lot of flavor. The smashed beans will continue to dry even after you remove from the heat.
• Toast the tortillas. For really crisp tortillas, heat one at a time (2 if you have a large enough microwave to fit 2 without the tortillas overlapping) in a microwave for 1 minute on full power. Flip tortilla over and microwave for 30 seconds to a minute more on full power, until crisp. You can also toast them in a dry pan or directly over the flame, but this will not crisp the tortillas, it will just char them.
• In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, chiles, onion, and cilantro. Season to taste with salt. Stir in lime juice and the avocado. Let sit for 15 to 30 minutes for the best flavor.
• Spread about 1/2 cup of the refried beans over each tortilla. Top with a generous spoonful of salsa. Place a handful of shredded lettuce or cabbage on top and if desired a little more salsa on the lettuce. Sprinkle on some white cheese, and serve.

BLACK BEAN TOSTADAS

Steps:

• Set an oven rack about 6 inches from the heat source and preheat the oven's broiler.
• Combine refried black beans, black beans, green chiles, garlic powder, chili powder, cayenne, salt, and pepper in a saucepan. Heat over medium heat until warm and combined, 3 to 4 minutes.
• Place tostada shells on an ungreased baking sheet and evenly distribute bean mixture between them. Top with Monterey Jack cheese.
• Broil in the preheated oven until cheese is melted, watching carefully to avoid burning tostadas, 1 to 3 minutes.
• Serve immediately and garnish with salsa, lettuce, sour cream, and guacamole.

STEAK AND BLACK BEAN CHALUPAS

Steps:

• For the tortillas: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Lay the tortillas on a baking sheet, brush both sides with the oil and sprinkle with salt. Bake until golden brown and crispy, about 10 minutes.
• For the cube steak: Toss the steak strips with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over high heat until lightly smoking. Add half of the strips and cook, tossing until the strips are browned on all sides, but not completely cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a large bowl and repeat with the other half.
• Remove all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the onions and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/4 teaspoons of the oregano and cook for 1 minute. Add the broth and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen any browned bits. Add the steak strips and any accumulated juice and simmer until thickened slightly, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon oregano, lime zest and lime juice and mix well.
• For the beans: Heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat and add the chili powder. Cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the black beans and toss to combine. Add the broth, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to boil. Using a masher, smash the black beans, stirring occasionally to incorporate into the broth, until thick. Remove from the heat.
• For the chili-lime mango: Toss the mangoes with the lime zest, lime juice, chili powder and 1/8 teaspoon salt.
• To assemble the chalupas, spread a thin layer of smashed black beans on each crispy corn tortilla and divide the steak among them. Top with some chili-lime mangoes and serve with lime wedges and pickled jalapenos.

TOSTADAS WITH EGGS, BLACK BEANS, AND CHORIZO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 300°F. Fry chorizo in medium skillet over medium-high heat until meat is cooked through and fat is rendered, about 10 minutes. Drain off all fat from skillet. Add beans to chorizo and stir until heated through, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat; cover to keep warm. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and sauté until onion is soft, about 4 minutes. Arrange tostadas on baking sheet. Spread 1/3 cup bean-chorizo mixture on each tostada. Top with onion. Place in oven to keep warm.
• Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in same skillet over high heat. Drop in eggs 1 at a time. Fry over medium-high heat until whites are firm but yolks are still tender, about 1 minute per side. Using metal spatula, place 1 egg on each tostada; top with salsa, avocado, and cheese.