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Mely Martinez’ Black Bean Tostadas
Tostadas are the ultimate comfort food for Mely Martinez, food blogger and author of “The Mexican Home Kitchen.” She favors cooking dried beans, but canned beans and store-bought tostadas (corn tortillas that are fried flat) allow this recipe to come together easily and with amazing speed. Martinez prepares her black beans simply, without added spices, but we like them spiked with ground cumin. We’ve kept the cumin optional, so the choice is yours whether or not to add it. Either way, the tostadas offer a delicious contrast between crunchy and creamy, with salty notes from the queso fresco, coolness from the lettuce and creaminess from the Mexican crema (or sour cream).
4
Servings
Don’t forget to cover the skillet when sautéing the onion and chilies. This helps soften the aromatics so they melt into the beans rather than retain their texture.
30 minutes
Ingredients
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2
15½-ounce cans black beans, rinsed and drained
-
3
tablespoons lard or neutral oil
Directions
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01In a food processor, process the black beans and ½ cup water until smooth, scraping the bowl as needed. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium, heat the lard until shimmering. Add the onion, jalapeños and ½ teaspoon salt; cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture is softened and lightly browned, 7 to 9 minutes.
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I LOVE this recipe! It’s so simple and tastes amazing. Sautéing some red peppers and onions to put on top also added some extra flavor, but it’s excellent - and truly comforting - as is.