Avocado and Arugula Tostadas

Avocado and Arugula Tostadas are a quick and easy dish you can throw together in these long, hot days of summer.

These vegetarian tostadas are very satisfying and also quite versatile.

I like to serve them as a combination salad / vegetable / starch alongside one of my Southwest soups, but you can add chopped chicken, pork, steak or even tofu before the broiling step (under the cheese) to elevate it to a main course. They can also be served as a first course.  The tostadas are already high in fiber and low in saturated fat, but you can make them even healthier by using no-fat refried beans. You can also shorten the cooking and assembly time by using pre-crisped corn tortillas and packaged shredded cheese.

Ingredients

• 6 corn tortillas
• 1 cup homemade or 1/2 can refried beans
• 4 oz. grated cotija or Jack cheese
• 2 cups arugula
• Juice of 1 lime
• 1/2 tsp. cider vinegar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 tbsp. cilantro, finely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced lengthwise
• Optional additional garnishes:  Pico de Gallo, pickled jalapeños, sour cream

Cooking Instructions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large cookie sheet with non-stick spray and arrange tortillas on it in a single layer. Bake for about 5 minutes, checking often, then turn the tortillas over and bake until toasted and crunchy, about 3-5 more minutes. Remove from oven and set aside, leaving the heat on.

Whisk the lime juice, vinegar, olive oil and cilantro in a bowl large enough to hold the arugula, then add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
Heat the refried beans in a small dish in the microwave, then spread a generous amount on each tortilla and top with the grated cheese.

Return the tortillas to the oven and increase the heat to broil, cooking for about 3 minutes or until the cheese is melted. Meanwhile, toss the arugula with the lime/cilantro vinaigrette. After removing from the oven, top the tostada with the arugula salad, then avocados, and serve with Pico de Gallo, pickled jalapeños and sour cream on the side.

Copyright Glover Gardens Cookbook, 2016