Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tostadas

I gotta say, its really starting to feel like summer. (Crazy heat and humidity aside) I'm enjoying the smells of people grilling, the brightness of the vegetables, and the general excitement in the air. Now all I need is a trip to the pool and some adult beverages!

This was Wednesday's yummy dinner, also courtesy of a South Beach Diet cookbook. Not only are they healthy and taste great, but so far, all these SB recipes have been a snap to make. I want to say its because they don't have wild and crazy ingredient lists, but I don't know if that's fair. (could just be that I pull from the "quick and easy" and "summertime" books).

As I've mentioned before, I love tortillas and I love goat cheese. I switched out a few things in this recipe, just because I wanted to use what I had. My CSA delivered red leaf lettuce, so I used it instead of romaine, and I already had grape tomatoes, so I used them halved instead of chopping up bigger ones. I also added cubed fresh mozzarella, just because I've been in love with it lately. I imagine you could get away with regular black beans if you couldn't find black soybeans, too.

Dave and I both dug the crunch of the baked tortilla. He doesn't like actual tomatoes, so he went without. He did ask that next time, I spoon a little salsa on his, so he gets the tomatoes in a different way. I can see this with corn niblits and basil in the mix, too.


Black Bean and Goat Cheese Tostadas
Adapted from: The South Beach Diet Quick and Easy Cookbook: 200 Delicious Recipes Ready in 30 Minutes or Less

4 (8-inch) whole-wheat tortillas
2 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large garlic clove, minced
1 (15-ounce) can black soybeans, drained and rinsed
4 ounces reduced-fat goat cheese, crumbled (3/4 cup)
½ (1-pound) head romaine lettuce, chopped (4cups)
2 medium tomatoes, diced
3 scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime, quartered
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat oven to 400°F.

Lightly spray tortillas with cooking spray and place, slightly overlapping, on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly puffed and browned, about 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.

While tortillas are toasting, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add garlic and cook until softened, about 1 minute. Stir in beans and heat until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper and remove from heat.

With tortillas still on the baking sheet, top with beans and cheese; bake until cheese has melted, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and top with lettuce, tomatoes, and scallions. Squeeze lime over top and serve hot.

Makes 4 servings.

Nutritional stuffage: 290 calories, 10 g fat, 2.5 sat. fat, 13 g protein, 35 g carbs, 7 g fiber, 380 mg sodium