BLOG: Cinco de Mayo Dinner, Black Bean Tostadas

I've never been one to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

With mother's day and my birthday a few days after, I never had the time to really plan a big fiesta with tons of delicious foods and drinks. But this year, it's different. All I want to do is chow down on some delicious tacos and slurp slushy, fruity margaritas. 

Admit it, you want to do the same.

With Cinco de Mayo being on a Saturday this year, the need for foodie celebrations is magnified. Get in your kitchen, bake up some traditional Mexican foods and grab your blender for drinks. Stumped for ideas? Give these black bean tostadas a whirl. 

Tostada literally means "toasted" in Spanish. Traditionally, a tortilla is toasted or fried, then topped with different layers of delicious foods such as beans, meat, cheese and other standard taco toppings. This particular tostada uses black beans in a delicious, creamy spread that is thickly slathered on top of the fried tortilla. It is then layered with chicken, salsa, lettuce, cheese and avocados. Don't forget the nice dollop of sour cream on top. 

Want to lighten it up a bit? You can bake the tortilla in the oven instead of frying. It yields the same crunchy texture without the fried oil taste. Also, try substituting plain Greek yogurt for sour cream. The texture and taste is so similar, you'll never notice the difference. 

Happy Cinco de Mayo! For more recipes like this, visit Feed Me, Seymour.

Black Bean Tostadas, serves 4

Ingredients: 

For Black bean spread: 

1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained

3 Tbsp. salsa of your choice

For Tostada: 

4 small flour tortillas

2 cups cooked chicken

1 bell pepper, diced

1 red onion, diced

1 tomato, diced

1 avocado, sliced

Optional: sour cream, cheese

For black bean spread: In a food processor, pulse black beans and salsa together until they form a paste. Feel free to add more salsa to your liking. Set spread aside. 

For tostada: Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a small saute pan over medium high heat. Once the oil is hot, place your tortilla in. Fry for 2 minutes, then flip. Once the tortilla is crisp and golden brown, remove and set on a paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining tortillas.

To assemble the tostada: Put down your fried tortilla. Place a thick layer of black bean spread on top of the tortilla. Next, layer your chicken on top. Add a generous scoop of pepper, onion and tomato. Finish with your avocado. Additionally, you can top with sour cream and cheese if you are so inclined.