Tostadas de alubias con aguacate, queso fresco y salsa casera

Ingredientes

• 6-8 tostada shells
• 2 cups refried beans
• 1 avocado
• 1-2 cups shredded cheese (I used Queso Fresco)
• freshly chopped cilantro
• 2 limes
• olive oil
• 4-5 tomatillos
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1-2 chipotles
• sliver of onion (optional)

Preparación

1. 1

   For the Salsa, start by husking and rinsing 4-5 tomatillos. De-stem the tomatillos and roast them in the oven at 400F for about 15 minutes or so. De-stem and de-seed two chipotles in adobo. Add the roasted tomatillos to a blender along with a single chipotle and 2 peeled garlic cloves. Combine well and take a taste for heat. If you want more heat add the second chipotle. I usually make this fiery and concentrated, but keep in mind that you can always dilute it a bit with the optional sliver of onion.

2. 2

   I used homemade pot beans for this recipe, but you've got plenty of leeway on the refried beans. I simply added 2 cups of beans to a skillet along with some of their broth and mashed 'em up over medium heat until they were a thicker consistency. If you are starting with canned, whole beans and want to give them some flavor, I typically use this refried bean recipe.

3. 3

   Chop the flesh of an avocado into bits. I tossed the avocado bits with an on-the-fly dressing: a glug of olive oil, the juice of 1 lime, and a pinch of salt. But you can consider the dressing optional.

4. 4

   Be sure to warm up the tostada shells if using store-bought shells. I crisped up some thin corn tortillas for some homemade tostada shells. To do that, rub a thin layer of oil on each side of the corn tortillas using your fingers or a pastry brush. Give them 4-5 minutes per side in the oven at 400F, or until they are crispy and just starting to turn a darker brown. See Homemade Tostada Shells for some pics on this process.

5. 5

   Prepare the remaining ingredients. For me that meant crumbling the Queso Fresco and chopping up some fresh cilantro. Feel free to use whatever cheese you have available.

6. 6

   Once the tostadas and beans are warm it's time to build your masterpiece! For me that meant loading each tostada with: a healthy layer of refried beans, avocado bits, Tomatillo Chipotle Salsa, Queso Fresco, freshly chopped cilantro, and a final squeeze of lime.

7. 7

   Serve immediately and enjoy!