Beefy Black Bean Tostadas

Posted on May 3, 2019 by Cindy Kerschner

Beefy Black Bean Tostadas served as a salad in an edible bowl! A Mexican-inspired dish for Cinco de Mayo.

tostadas

I first tried tostadas when I worked at a women’s college. My supervisor at the time tried to beef up “Taco Tuesday” with a variety of Mexican-inspired dishes.

One week we’d have Porchetta, another week, Huevos rancheros or flautas. Then there was a salad version of tostadas.

Tostada or “toasted” refers to the way the tortilla is prepared. Typically deep fried flat or bowl shaped and topped with meat, refried beans, your usual lettuce, tomato, onion and cheese. Pico de gallo and avocado also are added as toppings. Don’t forget the sour cream and salsa!

tostadas

For my version of tostadas I deep fried mini tortillas into an edible bowl. What I do is heat the oil to 350 degrees and use a metal ladle to submerge the tortilla to get the bowl shape.

I also skipped using refried beans. I like the taste and texture of black beans.
tostadas
Beefy Black Bean Tostadas

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Beefy Black Bean Tostadas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Yield: 4 servings

Serving Size: 1 each

Beefy Black Bean Tostadas

Ingredients

  • 4 mini corn or flour tortilla shells
  • oil for frying
  • 1 8-ounce steak, sliced thin (I used petite sirloin)
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon taco seasoning
  • 2 cup shredded lettuce
  • 1 cup canned black beans, rinsed
    • pico de gallo
  • 2 plum tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/4 cup diced onion
  • 1/2 small jalapeno, minced
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • juice from 1/2 a lime plus zest
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • sour cream (optional)

Instructions

  • Heat frying oil to 350 degrees. Place tortilla in oil. Submerge tortillas in oil with metal ladle to form bowls or fry flat. Fry until crisp. Drain off excess oil.
  • Season steak slices with taco seasoning. fry in 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat until browned on all sides. Set aside.
  • Mix together tomatoes, onions, jalapeno, salt and lime juice.
  • Assemble Tostadas with lettuce, black beans, steak, pico and sour cream. Top with lime zest if desired.
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Thanks go out to Heather from Hezzi-D’s Books for hosting our event!

Check out all these Cinco de Mayo recipe ideas from Festive Foodies!

Posted in #FestiveFoodies, beef, Mexican-inspired, What's For Dinner? | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad

Posted on May 2, 2019 by Cindy Kerschner

Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad celebrates spring with roasted fennel, nutty barley and chickpeas in a light, honey balsamic dressing. Part of a Festive Foodies National Salad Month celebration!

Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad

I love fresh fennel this time of year. You can use all parts of the bulb even the fronds.

Fennel tastes great raw, sauteed or roasted. For this salad, I roasted the fennel with a little olive oil. The sweetness of the fennel draws out the earthy taste of barley. Both are so good with chickpeas and even better all together!

Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad

Thanks Kate from Kate’s Recipe Box for hosting our #NationalSaladMonth event!
Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad

Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad

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Fennel Barley Chickpea Salad

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Serving Size: 1/2 cup

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup chopped fennel bulb
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 1 cup cooked barley
  • 1 cup chickpeas
  • 1/4 cup chopped red peppers
    • dressing
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons white balsamic vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • dash of pepper

Instructions

  • Toss fennel in olive oil. Spread evenly on cookie sheet and roast at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes until browned and tendered.
  • Stir together fennel, barley, chickpeas and peppers.
    • dressing
  • Whisk together oil, vinegar, honey, salt and pepper. Pour over salad and mix.
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Be sure to check out all these great salad ideas from Festive Foodies!

Posted in #FestiveFoodies, barley, brunch, salad | Tagged , | 15 Comments

Mini Spring Vegetable Quesadillas

Posted on April 23, 2019 by Cindy Kerschner

Mini Spring Vegetable Quesadillas cradle marinated artichokes, spinach, green onion and red peppers and white cheddar in a gluten free corn tortilla. A perfect lunch or guilt free snack.

Spring Quesadillas
Spring QuesadillasYou can substitute any spring veggies you like. I found this combo to be my favorite! I used purchased marinated artichokes, but feel free to use fresh or canned artichoke hearts if you like.

Mini Spring Vegetable Quesadillas

Adding a bit of Italian dressing brings it all together.

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Mini Spring Vegetable Quesadillas

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 15 minutes

Yield: 2 servings

Serving Size: 1 each

Mini Spring Vegetable Quesadillas

Ingredients

  • 2 mini corn tortillas
  • 2 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup marinated artichoke hearts, chopped
  • 1/2 cup fresh spinach
  • 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
  • 1/4 cup diced red pepper
  • 1/2 cup shredded monterey jack cheese or cheddar
  • 2 tablespoons Italian dressing

Instructions

  • Saute spinach, onion and pepper in 1 teaspoon oil until soft. Set aside.
  • Heat skillet or grilled with 1 teaspoon oil. Place on tortillas. Top with cheese, sauteed veggies and artichokes. Drizzle with Italian dressing.
  • Cook until cheese melts and tortilla is golden brown.
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BBQ Grilled Shrimp #EarthDay

Posted on April 22, 2019 by Cindy Kerschner

I was given a CacusGrill to test in exchange for an honest review. I received no further compensation. All opinions are my own and not representative of the other bloggers participating in this Earth Day post.
BBQ Shrimp #EarthDay
BBQ Grilled Shrimp cook up fast and make great sandwiches. Who doesn’t love food on a stick? Sustainable caught shrimp cooked on a 100% recyclable, single use cardboard charcoal grill!
BBQ Shrimp #EarthDay
Happy Earth Day everyone! Today is the day to practice what we preach and be kind to Mother Earth. It’s actually really easy to do.

Just remember these three words: Reduce Recycle Reuse

Celebrating Earth Day doesn’t mean break out the tie-dye and eat microgreens for a day. It means becoming more aware of how you and those around you affect our planet’s well-being.

Here’s some suggestions to get you started.

Leave no footprints. That includes focusing on doing more business with environmentally friendly businesses.
I’m a big fan of companies that practice sustainability. Only take what you need and leave the area better than when you found it.
One of those companies is CacusGrill. These handy portable single-use cardboard grills are easy to use and are totally recyclable.
From CasusGrill–>
Here are five ways CasusGrill makes for more healthy and environmentally friendly grilling:

  • It replaces dangerous and toxic one-pound propane cylinders that are among an estimated 254 million tons of trash Americans throw away each year.
  • The charcoal is made from sustainably sourced bamboo sawdust and produces up to 50 percent less CO2 emissions than conventional grills.
  • Clean, single-use bamboo grill grates replace metal grills that inevitably get rusty, charred, and caked with burned food.
  • Flame-free heat prevents burned meat associated with carcinogens. Instead of burned stripes, the bamboo grill leaves light strips where it touches the food.
  • When you’re done, simply douse it and toss it in the trash, burn it in the campfire, or bury it in good conscience. In six months, it will completely disintegrate.

    • For my Earth Day friendly recipe I chose using sustainable seafood. A simple grilled shrimp with barbecue sauce on a pretzel roll. Add lettuce and tomato if you please!
    12 large shrimp skewered
    1 teaspoon Old Bay or favorite seafood seasoning
    For the sauce:
    Whisk together
    1 6-ounce can tomato paste
    2 tablespoons brown sugar
    1/2 teaspoon smoked salt
    1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
    1 tablespoon Worcestershire
    1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
    1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
    Sprinkle seasoning on shrimp skewers. Place shrimp on grill. Brush with sauce. Grill 3 minutes, flip. Brush other side with sauce and grill about 2 minutes until fully cooked and opaque.


    Thanks Sue from Palatable Pastime and Valentina from The Baking Fairy for hosting our Earth Day Event!

    Check out all these delicious recipes for Earth Day!

    Earth Day Recipes

    Vegetarian and/or Sustainable Food Recipes

    by Food Blogging Friends –

    For a Small Planet

    Hosted By The Baking Fairy and Palatable Pastime

    Posted in bbq, grill, sandwich, shrimp, What's For Dinner? | Tagged | 19 Comments