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

1. Mash beans with a potato masher.
2. In a cast skillet, heat butter or oil over medium high heat.
3. 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.
4. 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

1. 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).
2. In a cast iron skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of oil over medium high heat.
3. 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.
4. 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.
5. Add the sliced mushrooms and cook another 2-3 minutes, until mushrooms soften. Add the red pepper and stir well. Heat through and reserve.
6. Warm the refried beans in the microwave or in a sauté pan/ skillet.
7. 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.
8. Sprinkle each with the corn. Top with cheese.
9. Bake tostadas for 10-12 minutes. The timing will depend on how thick your toppings are.
10. Serve immediately with chopped tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream or plain Greek yogurt.