Creamy Black Bean Tostado with Garden Fresh Salsa

It’s Cinco de Mayo and I’ve got places to be, so I am just going to get right down to business with this delicious, low-calorie, vegetarian  & super easy Cinco de Mayo delight.  It is not only tasty, but super filling and comes in just under 200 calories.  Make up a batch of I Ain’t Mad At Ya Margaritas and enjoy your semi-guilt free Cinco!!

Creamy Black Bean Tostado

Ingredients:

• 2 cans (14 oz)  reduced sodium black beans, rinsed
• 1/4 cup each chopped red,  yellow, orange & green bell pepper
• 1/2 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 2 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2 1/2 tsp cumin
• 8 0z reduced fat cream cheese, cut into pieces
• Salt & pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
• 8 – 6 inch corn tostados
• shredded reduced fat cheddar cheese
• Garden Fresh Salsa (see recipe below)

Directions:

Prep all ingredients.  Spray saute pan with vegetable oil cooking spray and heat over medium heat.  Saute garlic until lightly brown.  Add onion and peppers and saute until tender.  Add black beans, chili powder and cumin and heat about 1 minute.  Add cream cheese and stir to combine and melt.  Once mixture is combined and melted, heat broiler on high.  Lay out tostados on a cookie sheet and spread an even amount of mixture on each tostado.  Sprinkle approximately 1-2 tbsp cheese evenly over mixture.  Broil in the oven for 2 minutes or just until cheese is melted.  It is really easy to overcook the tostados, so keep a close watch while in the broiler.  Top with Garden Fresh Salsa and enjoy!

Serves 8

Garden Fresh Salsa

Ingredients:

• 4-5 garden fresh tomatoes, chopped (Roma are perfect)
•  1/2 red onion, chopped
• 1-2 garlic cloves, finely minced
• Juice of one lime (add more or less as taste desires)
• One Anaheim pepper, chopped and roasted
• One Poblano pepper, chopped and roasted
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 small 5.3 oz can of tomato juice
• Kosher salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Cover tightly and refrigerate 4-6 hours to meld flavors.  Serve over tostados and with baked tortilla chips.

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