Chipotle Bean Tostadas

Name: Chipotle Bean Tostadas
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil; 1 medium onion, chopped; 1 teaspoon ground cumin; 4 cups of cooked pinto beans, drained (either freshly made or 2 15-oz cans); 4 teaspoons TABASCO brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce (definitely do not use regular Tabasco sauce, only the Chipotle kind); salt; 12 cup high flash-point vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil or 12 cup canola oil; 1 dozen corn tortilla; salt; 1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese, queso seco (Mexican farmers cheese, or you can use feta cheese); 1 cup finely diced fresh tomato; 12 cup thinly sliced red radish; 12 cup loosely packed cilantro leaf; iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced and sprinkled with vinegar and salt; guacamole; sour cream

16 ingredients

24 steps

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil or 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
4 cups of cooked pinto beans, drained (either freshly made or 2 15-oz cans)
4 teaspoons TABASCO brand Chipotle Pepper Sauce (definitely do not use regular Tabasco sauce, only the Chipotle kind)
salt
12 cup high flash-point vegetable oil, such as grapeseed oil, peanut oil or 12 cup canola oil
1 dozen corn tortilla
salt
1 cup crumbled Cotija cheese, queso seco (Mexican farmers cheese, or you can use feta cheese)
1 cup finely diced fresh tomato
12 cup thinly sliced red radish
12 cup loosely packed cilantro leaf
iceberg lettuce, thinly sliced and sprinkled with vinegar and salt
guacamole
sour cream

Directions

1

1 Prepare the beans by sauteing onions in oil until softened in a large, thick-bottomed skillet.
2

Add ground cumin and cook an additional 30 seconds.
3

Add the beans, a teaspoon of salt, and a cup of water.
4

Use a potato masher to mash the beans into the pan, until the consistency of (somewhat lumpy) mashed potatoes.
5

Cook for a few minutes on medium hight heat until water is absorbed.
6

Stir in the Chipotle Tabasco sauce and season to taste with more salt if needed.
7

Remove to a warm burner out of the way, cover.
8

tortilla-cookingTo prepare the tortillas, heat the oven to 200F Line a baking pan with paper towels and place next to the stove.
9

Heat 5 Tbsp 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.
10

Using tongs, place a tortilla in the hot oil and let cook until golden brown on both sides, about 30 seconds per side.
11

You can use a metal spatula to flatten down the tortilla while cooking.
12

tortilla-cookingUse tongs to lift the cooked tortilla out of the pan, allowing the excess oil to drip off of it, back into the pan.
13

Place the cooked tortilla on the paper towels to absorb more of the oil.
14

Sprinkle a little salt onto each warm tortilla.
15

Do each tortilla one at a time this way.
16

As you fill up a baking pan, put the pan in the oven to keep the tortillas warm.
17

Add more oil as needed.
18

Carefully monitor the oil temperature.
19

Don't let it get too hot, or the tortillas will burn, or too cool - they won't fry up crisp enough.
20

3 To serve, arrange the cheese, cilantro and tomatoes in separate small bowls.
21

Put beans into a serving dish.
22

Bring out the tortillas by batches, keeping the rest warm in the oven.
23

Let people spread beans on to their tortillas and add sprinkle on the cheese, cilantro and tomatoes for each tostada.
24

Optional additions are sliced lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, and salsa (though with the chipotle, you probably don't need any more heat).