Tostadas de frijoles - 209

This "recipe" is not really a recipe. It's a way to eat a simple, economical meal with lots of nutrients and fiber. Calories can be easily avoided by cooking your own beans, and using minimal amounts of guacamole and cheese on each tostada. There are even oven-baked tostada shells available in some stores as opposed to the fried variety. We have oven baked our own corn tortillas with a very light brushing of olive oil, and they turned out fine.

We cook our beans with minimal amounts of salt, pepper and a pinch of epazote; we also make the guacamole and the salsa. Before serving we chop lettuce, dice tomatoes, and grate cheese. Then everything goes into bowls in the middle of the table so that can each build our own TOSTADA DE FRIJOLES. Not exactly rocket science, is it? This can all be made easier if you buy the toppings ready-made and then do the construction of individual tostadas at home

For the past couple of years we've been moving away from the kinds of cheese (cheddar, Monterrey Jack) that melt all over our Mexican food, and have started using Mexican cheeses such as queso fresco, cotija y panela. IF we want a cheese that melts nicely, for example, in a quesadilla, then we use Queso Oaxaca (comes in a ball) or revert to using Monterey Jack because it melts evenly. Feta cheese also goes good with Mexican dishes such as tostadas y enchiladas.

I've sat and watched my family members assemble their tostadas, and no two members do them the same. The frijoles usually go on the bottom to anchor everything else in place, but from there it's a different order of what-goes-next. Personally I like the frijoles first, followed by guacamole, salsa, lettuce, queso, and a spoonful of cream (sour or Mexican cream) if it's being served.