Roasted Vegetables and Black Bean Tostadas

This is a great quick and easy dinner option for a busy week night. This recipe was veganized from a Real Simple recipe. Enjoy!

Vegetable and Black Bean Tostadas

Serves 4
Hands-On Time: 15m
Total Time: 50m

Ingredients
10 ounces baby bella mushrooms, sliced
2 zucchini (about 1 pound), thinly sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt
8 corn tortillas
1 15-ounce can refried black beans or smashed black beans
2 tbsp nutritional yeast
1/2 avocado, diced
Salsa for serving

Directions
Heat oven to 450° F. On a rimmed baking sheets, toss the mushrooms, zucchini, and bell peppers with 2 tablespoons of the oil and ½ teaspoon salt. Roast, tossing once and rotating the sheets halfway through, until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl.
Place the tortillas on the baking sheets. Dividing evenly, brush with the remaining tablespoon of oil, spread with the refried beans, and sprinkle with nutritional yeast. Bake until the beans are warm, 5 to 7 minutes. Top with the vegetables, avocados, and salsa.

Nutritional Information
Per Serving
Calories 463
Fat 23g
Sat Fat 8g
Cholesterol 38mg
Sodium 774mg
Protein 19g
Carbohydrate 49g
Sugar 7g
Fiber 11g
Iron 3mg
Calcium 306mg

Happy vegan dining!

Eat well,
Carolyn

How to Make Black Beans from Scratch

You can save lots of money buying black beans in bulk and cooking them in batches.  This recipes makes enough beans so you can freeze half and enjoy the rest for leftovers.

Things You’ll Need:

• 4 cups dried black beans
• Large pot& lid
• 10 cups water
• Spices, such as bay leaves,  oregano and whatever you fancy
• Spoon
• 1 chopped onions
• 6 crushed garlic cloves
• Ladle
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Rinse 4 cups dry black beans and pick through and discard and foreign objects.

2.  Add black beans to a large pot covering with 3-4 inches of cold water.  Cover and let sit overnight.

3.  Drain the soaked beans, rinse, and place the beans back in the large pot.

4.  Fill the pot with 10 cups of water, 3 bay leaves, and any other dried spices you desire.  Stir the bean mixture.

5.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a simmer for 30-90 minutes or until beans are soft.

6.  Saute 1 chopped onions  and 6 crushed garlic cloves in olive oil, and add them to the pot of beans. Remove the bay  leaves  if you used them. Remove excess water from the pot of beans using a ladle, leaving enough to cover a ½ inch above the beans. Simmer the bean mixture on low for an hour or until it thickens.

7.  Season with Salt and Pepper and enjoy!

Vegan Mofo, Take 1
I made a big pot o’ beans yesterday, and we ate black bean burritos for dinner.

I stuffed a whole wheat tortilla with roasted red pepper hummus, spinach, matchstick carrots, and a generous amount of black beans.  I topped them with a tomato enchilada sauce I found on clearance at the health food store, and baked them for 15 minutes at 400 degrees.

Steamed broccoli for a side, and we enjoyed a yummy dinner.

I ate every last bite on my plate…

And then it was time for dessert.

Pumpkin Pie! More on that tomorrow!

Eat well,
Carolyn