Looking for an easy Meatless Monday recipe? This delicious, protein-packed dinner may be just the ticket! The base of this dish is homemade refried beans made with a mix of heirloom beans. When I made chili last week, I rehydrated a ridiculous amount of beans–way more than I needed for just the chili. I ended up cooking them by themselves, then mashing them and pan frying them with butter and garlic. I was really surprised at how much better they tasted than the fat-free canned refried beans I had been buying. The great thing about making your own refried beans, is you can make a big batch and freeze them for later, so a little front-end work pays off over time!
Refried Beans (makes 4 cups)
- 4 cups of rehydrated, organic beans
- 4 tablespoons organic butter or olive oil
- 1 heaping tablespoon cumin
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
- Mash beans with a potato masher.
- In a cast skillet, heat butter or oil over medium high heat.
- Add beans, garlic and spices and cook while continuing to mash the beans. If beans seem especially dry, add 1/4 cup of water and continue stirring and mashing for about 5 minutes.
- Cool and refrigerate or freeze until you are ready to use.
Refried Bean and Mushroom Tostadas (makes 4 servings)
- 4 tortillas
- 2 tablespoons grape seed oil
- 2 cups refried beans (or more–up to you!) [see recipe below]
- 1 large organic yellow onion, peeled and sliced thin
- 10-12 fresh, organic Shitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced
- 2 roasted red bell peppers (or 1 jar of prepared roasted peppers)
- 1 cup fresh or frozen, organic corn
- 2 cups farm cheese, grated
- Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper (you may need two baking sheets depending on the size of your sheets vs. tortillas).
- In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium high heat.
- Add one tortilla and fry it quickly, about 1-2 minutes on each side. Remove to a paper towel-lined plate and continue adding oil and tortillas until they are all cooked.
- In the same skillet, heat the remaining oil and lower heat to medium. Add the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes or until soft. Sprinkle onions with 1/4 teaspoon of kosher or sea salt so onions will release their juices.
- Add the sliced mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes, until mushrooms soften. Add the red pepper and stir well. Heat through and reserve.
- Warm the refried beans in the microwave or in a sauté pan/ skillet.
- Assemble the tostadas by putting tortillas on the baking sheet(s) and topping each tortilla with a layer of refried beans. Top with the onion/mushroom mixture.
- Sprinkle each with the corn. Top with cheese.
- Bake tostadas for 10-12 minutes. The timing will depend on how thick your toppings are.
- Serve immediately with chopped tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.
I have never made my own refried beans! I love them. But I never buy the canned ones either. I ‘m a pretty big fan of the FULL FAT Mexican restaurant version (shhh! I pretend they are good for me). I LOVE tostadas and all Mexican food ever in the world– these look great Deanna. Pinning!
Thanks! Ellie thought she would hate them, but she surprised even herself! Love Mexican food!!!