Black Bean Tostadas with Pineapple Salsa

I had left over chili from last night's dinner and so I decided to make tostadas.  Normally I would make a black bean puree (recipe below), but I wanted to use up the chili.  I just reduced the chili until it was really thick, like a puree. 

These tostadas would also make a great appetizer for a party.  For this recipe, I used 4" corn tortillas that I purchased from a Hispanic market.  If you can't find the smaller tortillas, just use the regular size.  However, if I were serving these as appetizers, I would cut each tortilla with a 2-3" round cookie cutter for an individualized two-bite serving. 

Baked Tostadas:

8 4-1/4" corn tortillas
Canola Cooking Spray
Kosher salt

Method:

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Spray a sheet pan with cooking spray and place tortillas on tray.
• Spray the tortillas lightly and sprinkle with kosher salt.
• Bake for 10-12 minutes until crispy and lightly golden brown.  Turn tortillas every 2 minutes for even browning and be careful during the last few minutes of cooking so they don't burn. 

Black Bean Puree: 

1 14.5 oz can of organic black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 medium onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 cup vegetable stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp canola oil or cooking spray
Note:  You can also use pinto beans but I like the contrast using the black beans.

Method:

• Heat canola oil in a saute pan on medium and cook onions until soft.  
• Add garlic and spices and cook for a couple of minutes longer.  Add a little vegetable stock to prevent burning.
• Place all ingredients, except vegetable stock in a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth, adding a little bit of vegetable stock to get the right consistency.
• Season with salt and pepper.

Pineapple-Avocado Salsa:

1 large can pineapple slices or chunks, drained and diced small
1 avocado, diced small
1 tbsp jalapeno, finely minced
1-2 tbsp red onion, minced
1 tbsp cilantro, minced
2 tbsp pineapple juice
Juice of 1/2 lime
Salt and pepper to taste

Method/Assembly: 

• Mix together all ingredients in a bowl and chill for about 30 minutes for flavors to combine.
• In addition to the pineapple-avocado salsa, I finely shredded green cabbage and tossed it with a little lime juice, salt and pepper.
• Layer the tostada with bean puree, shredded cabbage and salsa and sprinkle with a little minced cilantro.  Enjoy!