World Travels Wednesday: Beet Tostadas with Avocado Salsa & Queso Fresco

Fasten your seat belts, ladies and gents. We are going to Mexico this week!

My lovely best friend, Lindsay, helped me come up with the idea of writing "World Travels Wednesday".  Every Wednesday, I'll post a new original recipe featuring different international cuisine...and I'm pretty freaking excited about it! This week I've decided to start with a beauty of a dish that seems complicated but I promise it's not. The flavors are deep, complex, and bright without being too heavy. This recipe could also be made vegan by ensuring that the beans are made without animal fat and omitting the cheese.

So even though we aren't actually traveling to Mexico, the flavors will definitely remind you of a Mexican fiesta! Salud!

BEET TOSTADAS CHIQUITAS WITH AVOCADO SALSA & QUESO FRESCO

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 small corn tortillas
1 cup vegetable oil
1 can black beans, drained (you may substitute 1 can refried beans if short on time)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 yellow onion, chopped
2 large red beets, tops removed (you can save the tops for salad in a different dish if you like)
1 large or 2 small tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 scallions, chopped
A handful fresh cilantro, chopped
1 lime, zested and juiced
Queso fresco, for topping (if desired, you may use feta cheese instead)


Directions

• Preheat oven to 400.
• Place beets on aluminum foil, drizzle a little olive oil on them, cover the tops with the more foil (to create a foil pouch) and roast in the oven for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, in a large flat-bottomed skillet, heat your oil over medium high heat until you see ripples on the surface.
• Fry your tortillas in the oil, two at a time, until golden brown. Take care not to overcrowd the pan and be sure to not burn the tortillas.
• Remove the tortillas from the skillet and let drain on a paper towel lined plate. Continue until all tortillas are fried.
• For the beans: Add a small amount of oil to a saucepan over medium heat with the onion and garlic. Season with salt and pepper and saute until translucent.
• To the onions and garlic, add your beans. Cook for about 5 minutes, then start to mash the beans with a fork or wooden spoon to create the "refried" texture. Continue cooking for about 20 minutes on low heat. Add water if the mixture seems too thick.
• Meanwhile, for the salsa: combine the avocado, tomato, scallions, lime juice and zest, salt, pepper, and a drizzle of olive oil in a bowl and let sit to the side while the rest of the meal comes together.
• Once the beets come out of the oven, let cool enough to handle. Then, remove the skins (they should come off with just a rub of a paper towel) and slice into thin discs.
• To assemble: Start with a freshly fried tostada. Layer the beans on top. Shingle the beets on top of that. Next, add a dollop of the avocado salsa. Finish with a healthy sprinkle of the queso fresco.

Happy eating! Thank you for reading! Make sure to let me know if you try this recipe-- I love to hear your feedback. 

xoxo